California Temporarily Relaxes Alcohol Restrictions For Restaurants, Allowing Some Liquor To-Go
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has announced temporary relief for alcohol licensees across the state due to the ongoing spread of the novel coronavirus.
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The department Friday stated it would suspend enforcement of specific legal prohibitions to support the alcoholic beverage industry as it deals with economic challenges due to the outbreak.
Included in the announcement is a notice allowing restaurants "selling beer, wine, and pre-mixed drinks or cocktails" to prepare those beverages to-go in conjunction with meals prepared for pick-up or delivery.
Any alcoholic beverage sold to go must be packaged in a container with a secure lid or cap "in a manner designed to prevent consumption without removal of the lid or cap," according to the department.
Licensees must also prominently post a warning reminding motorists open container laws, including responsible transport of beverages, will still be enforced.
"The Department has carefully considered the public's health, safety, and welfare in providing this relief, and the Department has concluded that none of these measures, exercised on a temporary basis, will jeopardize the public's health, safety, or welfare," a statement on the department's website reads in part.
Other measures included in the notice included temporary relief for off-sale transactions through pass-out windows and deliveries to consumers.
The measures were announced in lieu of individual requests for relief submitted to the department. They are applicable to all affected licensees and are scheduled to continue until further notice, officials stated.
The notice follows less than a week after California Governor Gavin Newsom called for the closure of all bars, wineries, clubs and pubs throughout the state.
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti announced restrictions in-step, alerting the public Sunday bars, clubs, dine-in restaurants, gyms and theaters across the city would temporarily close.
"Everything we do right now will determine the outcome of this crisis, and we can save lives if we stay calm, care for one another, and take forceful steps to protect our communities," Garcetti stated in. part. "That's why we must follow the guidelines laid out by Gov. Newsom, build on them for local needs, and put the health and safety of the most vulnerable above all else. Los Angeles has weathered enormous challenges before, and our strength and resilience are this City's most powerful assets."
