Bridget Bennett / The New York Times
Patrons gather for a drink outside Atomic Liquors before bars were ordered to shut down again to prevent coronavirus spread in Las Vegas, July 10, 2020.
Monday, Sept. 21, 2020 | 11:52 a.m.
Patrons showed up at bars in and round Las Vegas to celebrate their reopening after weeks of a coronavirus-driven shut down.
Customers came late Sunday just before midnight eager to sit at a favorite bar including establishments inside restaurants and casinos. But most bars saw light foot traffic as they must follow social distancing guidelines and limited capacity rules.
The Nevada COVID-19 Mitigation and Management Task Force agreed last week to relax the last of the bar closure orders that Gov. Steve Sisolak re-imposed July 10. The order limited social gatherings where alcohol is served in coronavirus pandemic hot spots around the state.
Taverns, bars, breweries, distilleries and wineries were allowed in the Reno-Sparks area were allowed to reopen last week, following a previous task force decision.
Nightclubs and other entertainment venues remain closed, although Sisolak has said he will review coronavirus directives. Those include a 50-person cap on public gatherings and a 50% capacity limit at businesses including casinos.
State health officials on Sunday reported 385 new positive COVID-19 cases in Nevada along with three additional deaths.
That increases the statewide totals to 75,804 cases and 1,531 deaths since the pandemic began.
