News Flash

With COVID-19 cases rising in Orange County, the county amended its emergency declaration to provide new standards for the onsite consumption of food and beverages at restaurants, bars, private clubs and other food-service establishments.

The revised declaration was signed by Orange County Board of Commissioners Chair Penny Rich and goes into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 10, and includes the following changes:

• Restaurants and private clubs shall be closed to the onsite consumption of food and beverages and no customers shall be present for the onsite consumption of food and beverages between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.; and
• Restaurants may continue drive through, delivery, and pick-up services after 10 p.m. so long as there is no onsite consumption of food and beverages; and
• Restaurants, breweries, wine shops, private clubs, bars, and any other businesses or organizations that sell alcohol for onsite consumption may not sell alcohol between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and no customers shall be present for onsite consumption of alcohol between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.; and
• Restaurants, private clubs, and other food and beverage service businesses may not provide offsite table service for the consumption of food and beverages in Orange County between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.; and
• Restaurants, private clubs, bars, and other food and beverage service businesses shall not allow sitting or standing at bars for food and beverage consumption and shall not allow patrons to touch shared surfaces such as bar counters or game equipment such as pool tables, darts, and pinball machines, etc.; and
• All outdoor activities, gatherings, or events of more than 25 people are prohibited. Worship, religious and spiritual gatherings, funeral ceremonies, wedding ceremonies, and gatherings for health and safety, for work, to obtain goods, and to obtain government services are exempt from this Sec. 4(vi).
• The restrictions and prohibitions found in Section 4 of the June 26, 2020 Amendment to the Declaration of a State of Emergency in Orange County remain in effect in Orange County until they are amended or modified or the Orange County Declaration of Emergency is terminated except that Section 4(ii) is modified as follows: The mandatory mitigation measures set out in E0 138, Section 7B.2., as originally adopted, apply to all long-term care facilities described in EO 138, Section 7A.3., as originally adopted, which are situated in Orange County and shall continue to apply until such time as the Orange County Declaration of a State of Emergency in Orange County is amended, modified, or terminated.