The Orange County government announced a change to its state of emergency order that now mandates restaurants stop serving dine-in customers past 10 p.m. each night.

Shared with the public on Thursday, the order cited several restaurants in the county remaining open to early morning hours and serving primarily alcohol instead of food as impetus for the measure.

Bars remain closed under North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper’s executive orders about reopening the state, with expectation they could be opened in an eventual Phase 3.

According to the county’s amendment, restaurants may continue drive-thru, delivery and pick-up services past the 10 p.m. threshold, but there must not be “onsite consumption of food and beverage” nor offsite table service. The restriction will run through each night until 5 a.m. for food service and 7 a.m. for alcohol sales at restaurants, breweries, bars and other businesses.

Orange County Commissioner Penny Rich spoke with 97.9 The Hill’s Aaron Keck on Wednesday. She said the county was considering a change since some businesses were not complying with masks or distancing requirements.

“We’ve had a couple of complaints of the past two weekends that we’ve gone and checked out, and the complaints were valid,” said Rich. “We’re working to try and make [restaurants] understand that you can’t do this, but we’re not being very successful. We’ve tried the education process and we’re trusting people will do the best thing for themselves and their neighbors, but it’s not happening at these restaurants.”

Rich also said some restaurants have been using the opportunity to serve dine-in customers to stay open late and transition into operating as bars, which also plays into the county’s decision for an amendment.

“Bars can’t be open,” she said, “they’re not allowed under the governor’s order. And that’s not what we’re finding in Chapel Hill.”

The new mandate requires additional changes be made, specifically to where dine-in customers can sit or what they can access while at restaurants. Seating or standing room at bar counters for food or beverage consumption is no longer allowed under the amendment. Patrons are not allowed to touch shared surfaces like bar counters, pool tables, darts or pinball machines either as a measure to limit contact.

In March, the state government called for all restaurants and bars to close in an effort to mitigate the early spread of COVID-19 across North Carolina. Since then, many businesses shifted to pick-up and delivery methods to maintain service. As part of Phase 2 of the state’s reopening, restaurants were some of the businesses permitted to accept customers indoors again at 50 percent capacity.

As part of both Orange County and North Carolina’s state of emergency and safer at home order, all outdoor activities, gatherings or events of more than 25 people are prohibited. Some exceptions like religious gatherings, funerals, weddings and others are exempt, but restaurants are not. It is also an Orange County provision amid the pandemic that no more than six people are allowed to be at a restaurant table at once.

Thursday’s amendment to Orange County’s state of emergency order is slated to go into effect at 5 p.m. on Friday. The full amendment can be found on the county’s website.

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
Orange County Governments Declare State of Emergency to Prepare for COVID-19
Orange County Government and The Town of Carrboro and Chapel Hill declared a state of emergency on Friday in response to the ongoing novel coronavirus pandemic. Chair of the Board of the County Commissioners Penny Rich initially made the declaration, which will allow public safety personnel to better respond to any identified cases that may […]
Orange County Sets Expiration Date for COVID-19 State of Emergency
After being in place since March 2020 and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the state of emergency order laying out Orange County’s response to the coronavirus now has an end date. As part of a technical correction to reflect the latest changes to the county’s indoor mask mandate, Chair of the Orange County Board […]
COVID-19: Need Help? Here's Where To Start
The COVID-19 pandemic has created and exacerbated many needs in our community. More and more folks are in need of food, financial support, and physical and mental health services; local businesses are seeking funds to get them through the downturn; and all of us are looking for information to help us better understand what’s going […]
Orange County Shares Eventual Vaccine Distribution Plan for Residents
The Orange County Health Department shared its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan for residents on Friday, a phased rollout of the drug mirroring that of North Carolina’s health department. With the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine earning approval from the federal Food and Drug Administration Friday, North Carolina is expected to receive thousands of initial doses. Vaccination, however, […]
Positive COVID-19 Cases Eclipse 600 in Orange County
Orange County continues to see its positive COVID-19 cases rise, as the coronavirus’ spread crossed 600 residents on Saturday. According to data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the county reported 616 positive cases as of Saturday morning. The number represented a 23-case increase from Friday’s report. It took just eight days […]
Orange County Updates Mask Requirement to Mirror State's Order
Note: This story has been updated to reflect Orange County’s changes to its mask requirement that adopt the many of same regulations as issued by the latest executive order from the state. The Orange County government updated its existing mask requirement to align with the statewide requirement before it went into effect on Friday. Governor […]
U.S. Virus Cases Surge to Highest Level in 2 Months
New coronavirus cases in the U.S. have surged to their highest level in two months and are now back to where they were at the peak of the outbreak. The U.S. on Tuesday reported 34,700 new cases of the virus, according to a tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University that was published Wednesday. There have […]
Cooper Vetoes 2nd Reopen Bill, This One For N.C. Gyms, Bars
Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper on Friday vetoed another attempt by Republican legislators to accelerate the speed in which North Carolina commerce is being restored through his COVID-19 executive order. The vetoed measure would have allowed fitness centers and gyms shuttered since March to reopen at 50% capacity and require they follow social distancing and cleanliness […]
State Gives $35 Million to Local Health Departments for COVID-19 Response
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is allocating $35 million in federal funding to local health departments across the state to support their COVID-19 responses. The announced was shared in a release from Governor Roy Cooper’s office on Tuesday, saying each county would receive at least $90,000 with  additional funding determined by population size […]
Orange County Government Approves Budget for New Fiscal Year
The Board of Orange County Commissioners approved a budget plan for the 2020-21 fiscal year, one created with more uncertainty than normal due to the ongoing pandemic. The board approved the latest proposal at its virtual business meeting on Tuesday. The operating budget, which is just more than $239 million, represents a slight increase from […]
›