San Diego County suspends virus enforcement on restaurants

San Diego County suspends virus enforcement on restaurants

SeattlePI.com

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SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego County has suspended enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions on restaurants and live entertainment establishments after a judge extended his order protecting two strip clubs from a state shutdown order and indicated the ruling applied more broadly.

County officials said in a statement Wednesday evening that they and state officials were analyzing the scope of the ruling and discussing next steps, including seeking clarity from the court.

“Until we have clarity, we have suspended enforcement activities against restaurants and live entertainment establishments,” the county said.

Citing the “record number of new infections, deaths and ICUs at capacity,” officials, nonetheless, urged people not to gather and to socially distance, wear face coverings and wash their hands.

Restaurants, meanwhile, were trying to sort out whether they can seize the opportunity to reopen to diners.

Chad Cline, co-owner of the Waterfront Bar & Grill in Little Italy and a number of other nightlife venues and restaurants, said he was unsure what the judge's wording meant.

“It kind of says that restaurants can reopen but the caveat there may be that someone has to be stripping, which seems so wild to me,” Cline told the San Diego Union-Tribune. ”If that’s what it takes for us to reopen our businesses — taking off our clothes, I’ll do it.”

San Diego County Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil said in his ruling Wednesday that the two clubs can remain open and make their own determinations about providing safe environments for dancers and patrons during the pandemic.

But the scope of the preliminary injunction appeared to extend far beyond the two strip clubs that sued the county and state. If so, it could lift restrictions on thousands of...

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