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Aspen officials make note of Polis’ 10 p.m. alcohol curfew at restaurants, bars

People enjoy an afternoon of outdoor dining in downtown Aspen on Friday, June 26, 2020.
Kelsey Brunner/The Aspen Times

In response to Gov. Jared Polis’ order Tuesday that all restaurants and bars stop serving alcohol past 10 p.m., Aspen officials are reaching out to local businesses to remind them to cut it off according to state mandate.

City Manager Sara Ott said in her update to City Council on Tuesday that the city will work with the Aspen Chamber Resort Association to get the message out, as well as directly communicate with those who have liquor licenses with the municipal government.

The new law goes into effect at 9 a.m. on Thursday.



She noted that restaurants are still allowed to be open until midnight, which is the curfew that Aspen City Council set earlier this month.

Bars remain closed in Pitkin Couty, per local public health orders.




Just like the local curfew, Polis’ order is aimed at those who imbibe too much, get drunk and their inhibitions go out the window during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s more difficult to remember to maintain proper social distancing, and therefore he felt this was in the best interest of the state to put additional limitations on hours for sales,” Ott said.

The city also is working with the Aspen School District in whatever assistance it can be of, as the superintendent decides whether in-person learning will occur.

Ott noted that it could impact transportation and the local workforce, and the city will provide protective personal equipment for school staff if needed.

Also, Pitkin County is in the process of working on a required mitigation plan to submit to the state on how it’s addressing the rising number of positive cases of COVID-19 in the region.

“This is really going to be a valuable document for both immediate, but also a long-term strategy will come out of it so that as a community we know that when certain benchmarks are hit we know what type of actions the county health director or board of health may take to help mitigate transmission of the virus,” she said.

csackariason@aspentimes.com

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