SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. — Patrons at Summit County restaurants will soon have a little more time to enjoy their adult beverages, the county's health department announced Friday.
Summit County Public Health said in a release it will now allow alcoholic beverage sale and consumption in 5 Star-certified restaurants until 10 p.m., starting Saturday.
The current cut-off time is 9:30 p.m.
“We hope that this change gives restaurants that have gone through the process of 5 Star Certification the ability to expand their sales with the extra half hour,” said Public Health Director Amy Wineland.
“This decision was made with a lot of consideration as we know that alcohol consumption can promote COVID transmission as individuals let their guards down and compromise mask wearing, physical distancing, hand hygiene and other precautions," Wineland added. "We ask that businesses ensure that customers are continuing to follow the Restaurant COVID Guidelines and 5 Star protocols with this extension.”
Public health officials have also eased requirements on the collection of contact information in order to make the process more manageable for restaurants, the release said. 5 Star-certified restaurants will now be required to collect contact information from one person per household.
Previously, restaurants had to collect contact information from every person in the group for contact tracing purposes.
All other prior requirements and restrictions will remain in place, according to the release, including a limit on seating at tables to a maximum of 10 people from no more than two households.
The 5 Star certification program allows businesses to operate with looser restrictions by implementing safety measures beyond what is already required by public health orders and guidelines to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
You can visit the Summit County 5 Star Certified Business Locator for an interactive map of 5 Star-certified businesses in Summit County.
More information on the Summit County 5 Star Business Certification Program is available at this website.
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