State of Florida plans to enforce social distancing with bars open this weekend

This will be the first weekend in a while with bars open again in the state of Florida, and the state will be watching to make sure bar owners are following the rules.

Bars were back in business starting Monday, even without serving food, but they’re being capped at 50% capacity and held to the same standards as restaurants when it comes to physical distancing.

“They can’t go out and blow this thing out wide open,” says Halsey Beshears, the secretary for Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulations.

He tells our news partner Action News Jax the state will have patrols out from 4 p.m. to midnight to make sure the rules are being followed. Beshears says bar owners risk having their license suspended if they aren’t in compliance.

“If they’re packing it in, with people standing around and they’re not doing their best to try to control the crowds, those are the ones we’re going to go after,” Beshears says.

Cox Media Group