DC board votes to lift last COVID-19 restrictions on bars, restaurants

The Washington, D.C., liquor board voted Wednesday to lift the last of coronavirus restrictions on bars and restaurants.

The board voted unanimously to end the requirement placed on bars and restaurants to collect customers’ information for contact tracing and have a reservation system in place, the Washingtonian reported.

The new rule will go into effect Friday along with other coronavirus restrictions being lifted on the same day.

The nation’s capital will see capacity limits on bars, sports arenas, night clubs and entertainment venues be completely lifted Friday.

The only coronavirus restriction that will be left on the venues is a mask requirement indoors. 

The lifting of almost all coronavirus restrictions comes as D.C. has seen more than half of its population fully or partially vaccinated, according to the local outlet.

Coronavirus cases also dropped 37 percent in the past week for the city.

The reopening of D.C. coincides with a poll that found activity outside of the home in the U.S. has hit its highest point since the coronavirus pandemic began last March.

“I give all credit to D.C. residents and businesses who have followed the public health advice, and they have even outperformed where we thought we’d be on this date, and that’s how we can get closer to reopening, because of the precipitous fall of our case rate,” Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) said when announcing the easing of coronavirus restrictions in May.