A new health directive issued Friday puts more restrictions on restaurants in Shelby County.
Among the rules, diners must wear a mask at all times, unless they are taking a bite or a sip. Food and beverage sales have to end at 10 p.m.
Further, county schools are “strongly encouraged to suspend all school-related close-contact sports at this time.”
The following applies to businesses that have food and/or alcohol permits:
- Must require their customers to be seated while eating or drinking, and
- indoor seating must not exceed 50% capacity of the establishment.
- Must require their customers to wear a mask at all times except for when
- the customer is actually eating a bite of food or drinking a beverage.
- No more than 6 guests (with a maximum of 4 adults) may be seated at the
- same table, and they must be of the same household.
- Any person at one table cannot be within 6 feet distance from any person
- at another table.
- Food service shall not exceed two hours.
- All bar counters must be closed for seating.
- Standing, gathering, or ordering at a bar is not allowed.
- Dancing is not permitted.
- All food and beverage service shall close at 10 pm. This means that any
- guests who are already receiving service at 10 pm may remain there until
- 10:30 pm to complete payment arrangements but may not be served food or
- beverages after 10 pm.
- If properly permitted by local and state law, any curb-side, drive-thru, or
- delivery services may continue, but any such sales of alcoholic beverages
- must end at 10 pm.
- Only staff needed to close, open, clean, or operate curb-side/delivery
- services shall be in any establishment between the hours of 10:30 pm and
- 5:00 am. Legally permitted curb-side, drive-thru, and delivery service may
- continue (except for the sale of alcoholic beverages as provided above)
- without the restriction of closing at 10 pm as long as such services also
- comply with state law.