Originally published on May 5, 2021 1:57 pm
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Earlier this week, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page announced
their new guidance on public health regulations. Among the beneficiaries of the eased restrictions are food and drink establishments.
Restaurants no longer have to adhere to a 50% capacity cap and a midnight curfew, so long as they continue with 6-foot social distancing practices. But while eateries are seeing an influx of customers again, they are still facing a huge problem only exacerbated by the pandemic: a shortage of staff.
By - Associated Press - Monday, May 3, 2021
ST. LOUIS (AP) - St. Louis and St. Louis County are lifting limits on the number of people allowed in restaurants, local officials announced Monday.
St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page cited the drop in cases in the area and the increase in access to vaccinations, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
The decision ends St. Louis’ midnight business curfew. It also ends a half-capacity limit on county restaurants and a 25% capacity limit on banquet halls.
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Planter s House in Lafayette Square is currently at 50% capacity.
Because the requirement to space tables and parties 6 feet apart is still in place, owner Ted Kilgore feels like they can t bring in much more. Really, for us, it s not going to change much. We may be able to squeeze in a couple more seats here and there, Kilgore said.
It won t stay open too late either, just extending an extra hour to its closing time. During the week, it ll now be until 11 p.m. and on the weekends until midnight.
Rick Lewis, owner of Grace Meat + Three in the Grove, explained he ll stay around that 50% limit, too.
Why worry about so-called “election integrity” when the election results on ballot questions are routinely ignored in Missouri, you might ask.
Raise the minimum wage, said Missourians in 2018. Yet GOP lawmakers are still trying to hold off on the phased-in plan to do this. Because, you see, legislators know in their hearts that voters only said that because the poor things didn’t know any better.
“They don’t really have all of the information that they need to make the most informed decision, because it’s simply not available to them,” said House Budget Committee Chairman Cody Smith, in explaining his attempts to delay or stop the minimum wage increase altogether. “There are campaigns, political campaigns essentially, that are highlighting benefits of this and don’t highlight the negative consequences.” So, down with political campaigns, says the politician?
St. Louis Public Radio
Sarah Young wears a mask while working last year at Sola Salon in Creve Coeur. St. Louis and St. Louis County officials announced Monday businesses will now be able to operate at full capacity.
Restaurants and businesses in St. Louis and St. Louis County are now allowed to operate without curfews and host customers at full capacity as long as people continue to social distance and wear face masks inside.
Citing a decrease in coronavirus cases and an increased availability of vaccines, St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones and St. Louis County Executive Sam Page announced Monday morning that they were lifting some restrictions that have been in place to stop the spread of the virus for nearly a year.