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Closing Bars to Stop Coronavirus Spread is Backed by Science

Associated Press

   Authorities are closing honky tonks, bars and other drinking
   establishments in some parts of the U.S. to stem the surge of COVID-19
   infections -- a move backed by sound science about risk factors that go
   beyond wearing or not wearing masks.

   In the words of one study, it comes down to the danger of "heavy
   breathing in close proximity."

   Crowded indoor spaces filled with people yelling, leaning close to hear
   one another and touching the same sticky surfaces are "the opposite of
   social distancing," said Dr. David Hamer of the Boston University
   School of Medicine.

   "Can you do social distancing at a bar? Can you wear a mask while
   drinking?" Hamer said. "Bars are the perfect place to break all those
   rules."

   The rapid spread of a bar outbreak can swamp public health workers. In
   East Lansing, Michigan, an outbreak tied to a large brewpub near
   Michigan State University has spread to nearly 140 people in 12
   counties, causing authorities to recruit nursing students and retirees
   to help with contact tracing.

   "In 12 days, we went from two identified cases to 128, and, honestly, I
   don't have today's numbers yet," Ingham County health officer Linda
   Vail said Wednesday before cases shot up again. She described her
   outlook as "shocked and overwhelmed."

   Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer responded by closing indoor seating in
   bars in parts of the state. Taverns will not have to close completely.
   They can sell to-go cocktails and keep outdoor patios open.

   In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom took similar action, ordering bars and
   indoor restaurant dining to close again for the next three weeks in
   most of the state. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio delayed the city's
   resumption of indoor dining.

   Two other factors at play in bars make them potential virus
   flashpoints. Alcohol lowers inhibitions, so people forget precautions,
   said Natalie Dean, an infectious diseases expert at the University of
   Florida.

   Plus, the attractive, healthy person buying you a drink could be a
   silent carrier, shedding contagious virus with each breath.

   "Young people have less severe illness, so they may be infected and
   able to infect others inadvertently," Dean said, noting outbreaks in
   Japan and South Korea associated with restaurants, bars and karaoke
   parties.

   In recent weeks, college towns across America have seen clusters of
   cases that have been traced back to bars. Bars and restaurants near the
   University of Iowa and Iowa State University closed only weeks after
   the governor allowed them to reopen.

   As of last week, 90% of cases in the county that is home to Kansas
   State University involved people ages 18 to 24. Health officials said
   most of them spent time in a bar and restaurant district known as
   "Aggieville."

   Citing a similar spike, the Kansas county that includes the city of
   Lawrence and the University of Kansas also ordered bars and nightclubs
   to close beginning Friday for the next two weeks.

   "Congregation at a bar, inside, is bad news," Dr. Anthony Fauci told a
   Senate panel Tuesday. "We really have got to stop that."

   Texas, Arizona, Los Angeles and some Pennsylvania counties are closing
   bars to slow the spread of the virus. Florida and Colorado have told
   bars they cannot serve alcohol on site.

   Most bar owners and employees feel that they have been unfairly singled
   out, particularly because restaurants are still open and serving
   alcohol. In Texas, bar owners said that on Friday after they were
   forced to close their doors, they noticed restaurants were still
   packed.

   "You can go into a restaurant and they have bars, and you can have as
   many drinks as you want," said Nikki Forsberg, owner of the Old
   Ironhorse Saloon in Blanco, Texas. "It doesn't seem fair. Restaurants
   get this pass and the bars don't."

   The bar's manager, Tami Cooley, said although she did not wear a mask
   at work, she felt the tavern was taking every precaution to safely stay
   open. No one was allowed to drink or order at the bar, and tables were
   limited to six people. They closed for a few days after finding out one
   of the bartenders had been in contact with someone who tested positive
   for the virus.

   "We were cautious at our bar. We social-distanced, sanitized the
   tables, chairs, bathrooms, doorknobs," she said. "We did everything
   right."

   In the Michigan bar outbreak investigation, "huge concern" now centers
   on the parents and grandparents exposed to the virus by their offspring
   who partied at the brewpub, Vail said. She worries about "a climb in
   secondary cases if the people we asked to self-quarantine didn't do
   that ... Where is this secondary transmission going to land?"

   Saskia Popescu, an infectious diseases expert in Phoenix, said it's
   difficult to disinfect surfaces at a bar enough to make a difference.
   Even sitting at a table with friends at a bar involves loud talking and
   laughing that could spread virus. It's not worth it, she concludes.

   "You can make a cocktail at home," Popescu said.