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Restaurant industry hails senate vote easing COVID-19 restrictions
Stacy Wescoe//September 23, 2020//
The battle over COVID-19 restaurant rules isn’t over.
The Pennsylvania Senate voted 43-6 Tuesday in favor of House Bill 2513, which would ease the state’s mitigation efforts for establishments with liquor licenses.
The bill mostly reverts to rules that were in place before stricter rules were enacted July 15 in the wake of a spike in COVID-19 cases as well as well as new regulations that were enacted Monday.
The bill would strip away measures that ban bar seating, tie alcohol sales to meals and would eliminate the Governor’s self-certification program. In its current form the ban on the sale of alcoholic beverages after 11 p.m., which began Monday, would stay in place.
The original 50% seating capacity, mask wearing rules, social distancing and other sanitation requirements of the original orders would also be maintained.
The state House of Representatives still needs to vote on concurrence, but representatives of the industry are calling it a step in the right direction.
“HB 2513 is a safe step in the right direction. It takes into consideration a balance of COVID safety measures and business survival needs,” said Chuck Moran, executive director of the Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage and Tavern Association. “The industry has played and continues to play its role in the COVID-19 battle. It has been the tip of the spear since day one of the battle, and has sacrificed the most of any industry. Industry casualties are mounting as more establishments close their doors and employees lose their jobs. The industry and its employees desperately need this type of help.”
If the house concurs the bill would head to the governor’s desk.
