St. Louis officials ban dine-in service at restaurants and bars to slow coronavirus

Officials in the Missouri counties of St. Louis, Franklin and St. Charles have ordered all restaurants and bars to stop offering dine-in services to slow the spread of coronavirus, similar to a move by Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Sunday.

Pritzker’s ban, which applies to the entire state of Illinois, took effect Tuesday morning. The St. Louis-area ban will take effect Friday morning.

City of St. Louis and county representatives appeared together at a news conference Tuesday afternoon at DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, Missouri.

“Today, I signed an executive order that will require county restaurants and bars to offer food and beverages to their customers only through delivery service, window service, walk-up service and drive-through,” said St. Louis County Executive Sam Page.

Also on Tuesday afternoon, Missouri Gov. Mike Parsons announced that the state’s casinos would close at midnight Tuesday. On Monday, he rejected the idea of closing restaurants and bars throughout the state.

Recent closures and restrictions across the country are part of a “social-distancing” movement that strives to keep people from gathering at schools, museums, offices and other public places and possibly infecting others.

“Social distancing is the new reality,” Page said. “This practice needs to become part of our daily habits, including how we enjoy dinner out. I appreciate all the entrepreneurs who will use their creativity to support our region’s health during this critical period.”

Tuesday’s executive order was the fourth issued by Page to slow the spread of coronavirus or COVID-19, according to a county news release. Others have declared a state of emergency, imposed restrictions on large gatherings and adopted family-friendly employment policies.

This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 7:17 PM.