Chairman of the Guilford County Board of Commissioners Skip Alston – after consulting with Greensboro Mayor Nancy Vaughan, Guilford County Sheriff Danny Rogers and others – has amended the county’s stay-at-home pandemic order to stop bars and restaurants from using an existing take-out exception that was allowing patrons to stay on the premises after 10 p.m.
Alston said on Wednesday, Jan. 13, that law enforcement officers had run into issues when it came to enforcing the 10 p.m. curfew at bars and restaurants. Some patrons remained inside even after that deadline because they were waiting on to-go orders.
The curfew stems from an executive order from NC Gov. Roy Cooper that was meant to help reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the state.
The new restriction, which was approved by Alston on Wednesday, Jan. 13 prohibits people from being indoors at bars and restaurants after 10 p.m. – even if they’re waiting on to-go orders.
This countywide restriction goes into effect on Friday, Jan. 15 at 5 p.m.
Alston said one of the governor’s Executive Orders issued in December had the unintended consequence of allowing patrons to remain indoors at local restaurants past 10 p.m. in order to place to-go orders. Several times, he said, law enforcement officers trying to enforce the rules had run into what some county officials called a “loophole.”
The county’s new rule states that during the “Night Time Public Closure Period,” which runs from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., non-exempt retail businesses “must be closed so that no Guests are admitted into the premises.”
Some exempt businesses unaffected by the 10 p.m. curfew are those that sell groceries, fuel or medication or other health care supplies.
The new rule doesn’t prohibit curbside pick-up, delivery, or drive-through sales to the extent they are permitted by the governor’s orders. It states, “For these purposes, premises shall not include parking lots, sidewalks, and drive through lanes.”
In a statement that Alston released along with public notice of the new rule, he said a lot of thought went into the move that some people will not like.
“Many critically important factors have been considered as we came to this decision – weighing opportunities for our local businesses to generate needed revenue against doing what is necessary to stem the effects of the rising tide of this pandemic on our communities,” Alston stated. “We certainly considered the available COVID-19 data provided by our Public Health Department, Cone Health, and Wake Forest Baptist Medical in High Point.”
Alston added that, while he wants to encourage the efforts of local businesses to keep up revenues and keep workers employed, he and other local leaders “could not ignore the many phone calls, emails, text messages, and incidents in our community as a result of the oversight.”
So we have confirmed outbreaks in the Guilford County Jail system that Skip and company are directly responsible for and the solution is more ineffective punitive nonsense about too many people waiting for takeout?? Welcome to leftist smiley faced fascism.
If Skip is truly utilizing data to make such a decision, he should produce it. Show us the data. He never will because there is no data that shows a spike in COVID is due to people being out after 10 pm. I would gladly eat crow if the data exists but the fact that he is not showing it is telling.
I would urge everyone to demand data from those making these decisions because I’m calling BS right now. There is no logical thought behind these decisions because all “leaders” like Skip are doing is posting restrictions to make it look like they are doing something when they really are not. They are incompetent. What Skip should be doing is getting on the backside of our Governor to get more vaccinations into Guilford County. The Governor and his sidekick Mandy are dropping the ball. The vaccines are there and they are not being utilized as quickly as they are getting them at the state level. NC is at the bottom of vaccine utilization in the nation.
Show me the numbers! Just don’t hide behind them.
To many people placid TO GO orders is hardly exacerbating the pandemic.
Perhaps Herr Alston could consult with the Sheriffs Department and find out how 26 county inmates got Covid.
Are we allowing them to place takeout orders?
One more step toward Socialism.
You must remember that these are the Lords and Ladies of Guilford County. They dictate, not lead, from on high. This is their fiefdom and we are their surfs.
And so the (National Socialist) Democrat Politburo of Guilford County begins to slowly tighten the screws of control and commit violations of our 1st Amendment rights. It sure didn’t take them long.
Sheeple of Guilford County submit…”show me your papers” will be next.
For the umpty-umpth time, how is it more dangerous after 10PM?
Tks for the quote from “Atlas Shrugged”. I’ve both read, and listened to (45 CDs), this book. It should be required reading in school, along with “1984”. Young people now just don’t have a clue, they were taught what to think.
Slowly??? LOL! Full throttle right out of the gate IMHO.
This is a preview of things to come.
NO DEBATE.
NO PUBLIC FORUM FOR INPUT OR OBJECTION.
NO OVERSIGHT.
NO ACCOUNTABILITY
NO BUDGET RESTRICTIONS,LIMITS OR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITIES TO TAXPAYERS.
A ‘YES’ SHERIFF AND A ‘YES’ C.O.P. AT THE MERCY OF A ‘NO’ CITY COUNCIL.
Welcome to the future ‘Portland’ of NC.
Portland? Phooey. We’ve already passed Seattle.
The LEFT is destroying our cities, and by extension, our Republic. Why? For power and personal gain.
So, we need to get on.
I am truly amazed at the concerned people from foreign countries that were communist have said that the US is going down a ‘rathole’. With the foolish stay at home and the elemination of our basic rights . They also know that a capitalist society is better.That sure is the way we are headed with Herr Coop and his minnions as well as The Guilford County Mayor and city council (and Commissioner Skip) .There has no data to say that bars and restaurants have been the leader of the virus .Have these Brilliant individuals Chechen the homes where people are dying.Look at the old age facilities and the people forced to stay at home.when will the people who vote for these Democrats learn that they have no idea how to logically run a city or state. They only know how to spend everyone else’s money,Tax everyone and LIE about everything else. Show me the data!!!!
Those who would give up there liberty for temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. B Franklin
Our hospitals are at or close to capacity because of non-compliance with wearing masks, stay home orders, except for essential needs, group gatherings, lack of sanitized meeting space, and more. Very sad to read the obituary’s, and most had a lot to live for. Need to get fatal numbers down and full and complete compliance with these executive orders is important;
This is wrought with falsehood. Since all this began Guilford Co has had 344 deaths out of a population of 537,174. That is less than 1 per day. There is an avg of around 7 abortions per day. Those aborted had a lot to live for….try an entire lifetime
Right! Except for infirm seniors, the rest is “a whole lot of nothing”. But hey, our legislators need to justify their phoney-baloney jobs. Make the appearance of doing something.
Susan ….show us your facts . Post them on this open forum for us to analyze for our shelves. Please
That is one smart virus! Knows to infect from 10:00 pm to 5:00 am, but not to infect from 5:00 am to 10:00 pm. This is ridiculous! And of course there is no science to back this up. Folks, I do not doubt there is a virus, but the draconian levels of whatever the flavor of the month to prevent infection measures really do border on insanity. Especially for a virus that has a 99+% survival rate!
Cmon you are making too much sense. Your truth and proper reasoning skills are confusing the fear mongers
AMEN …Thank you Sharon , my exact thoughts.
“Alston added that, while he wants to encourage the efforts of local businesses to keep up revenues and keep workers employed, he and other local leaders “could not ignore the many phone calls, emails, text messages, and incidents in our community as a result of the oversight.””
Translation: While you greedy businesses wanna stay afloat & keep your staff able to pay their bills, I & my fellow democrat opportunists gotta keep the snitches in good graces–losing your business, upping the unemployment rate, putting a bigger dint in the economy–all are totally irrelevant when it comes to shilling for votes.
FOIA the “calls, texts, emails” … let’s see them
Skip please spend your “thought time” on something that is needed. This is not.
AB he is …he spends his time building his state office run resumes….
BIG THINGS ON THE HORIZON FOR SKIP.
Where is the data that anyone has been infected with the Covid virus while waiting inside a restaurant for take out orders? I dare say there is no data at all!! We are becoming prisoners of our Democratic dictators! I dare anyone to come up with real data backing this decision. Our illustrious mayor cannot site one statistic supporting this decision. If she can, let’s see it!!
How have we let these overbearing , uninformed, idiots ever be elected to any kind of office of authority? Has Guilford county and Greensboro city totally lost all remnants of common sense?? From the settled law suits coming from criminals and drug addicts, to giving hundreds of thousands of dollars to unproven liberal platforms, or just opening their mouths and the ignorance that spills forth. We are a laughing stock to other cities that see the incompetence of these people. Yes elections have consequences ,, and we are reaping ours now.
“How have we let these overbearing , uninformed, idiots ever be elected to any kind of office of authority?”
Maybe some have forgotten, but Her Honor, Queen Nancy, was elected after gaining name recognition for trying to use the force of law to keep Jefferson-Pilot from developing their land in the New Garden Road area. Her house was nearby, and she enjoyed having undeveloped land near her neighborhood, especially since she neither had to maintain the land or pay taxes on it. That she saw government as a vehicle to force other people to live by her rules should have been a warning to us, but no, we elected her to the City Council. And it didn’t help that we had a real jerk for a mayor for one term, so we replaced him with Queen Nancy, thinking she couldn’t possibly be any worse. Boy, were we in for a surprise. We got rid of a scoundrel and replaced him with a control freak!
I don’t see how an “order” made by one man, on a whim, using no credible data can be enforceable and have any force of law behind it. There is no mention of this “order” being discussed and voted on by the county commissioners, these being the elected officials supposedly representing Guildford County citizens. Without their yeahs & nays this “order” doesn’t water.
“The new restriction, which was approved by Alston on Wednesday, Jan. 13 prohibits people from being indoors at bars and restaurants after 10 p.m. – even if they’re waiting on to-go orders.”
So is it okay for people to be outdoors at bars and restaurants after 10 pm while waiting for their to go orders?
We are all born ignorant. But one must work very hard to remain STUPID ! B. Franklin
A few are actually born stoopid. You can’t fix that.
Greensboro is a special place for me, but those in office have highjacked this city and turned it upside down. When the taxpaying citizens storm the courthouse and demand representation will mark the beginning of We Are The People. Skip is the type of guy that will build a million dollar home in the middle of a poor community and put up gates, won’t help the community he is living in, but then disagrees with having a boarder wall for the nation. He is a sellout to The People, we need change. Developers are in charge of this city, and soon Greensboro will have or facing the same issues these majors cities are having. SMH, poor leadership, because it’s not led by The People, but by anarchist in suits.
People getting to go orders is definitely not the spike in numbers! It has been more confirmed cases in Guildford County sherrif office during the day and the county offices than the restaurants. What measures are they taken to keep thier employees safe! 2 have died recently
Reminds me of the Katrina debacle and the impotent demorat mayor and governor, when they had a hot mic , Gov Blanco tells Mayor Nagin, “Roll your sleeves up and make it look like you’re doing something.” Just about tells us everything we need to know about govcrim parasites.
The whole bunch is drunk with power. You can’t get rid of them.
Only one way remains……
Because screw every citizen of Guilford County who works 2nd or 3rd shift, and pick up food on their way home or order delivery while at work, right??
Every single one of them is a science-denying tyrant, in desperate need of a new tar-and-feather suit.
Socialism? We’ve had plenty of that for a long time. This is totalitarianism.
I love living on the edge. Last night at 10:01PM I went outside without a mask (shudder) and stepped onto a public sidewalk. And get this. I stood there for every bit of 5 minutes too! I am frightened and take my temperature every hour, but by golly it was worth it! Defiance is my middle name.
Here is something for you to think about in your echo chamber as you complain about a virus that magically knows that the random hour of 10pm is the time to stop gathering – it doesn’t. The fact that they are allowing businesses to stay open with inside seating is a realization that businesses do need to survive and must have some way to work. It is a political concession. The real answer is – to stop the spread of the virus we should stay home. But, much like the spoiled teenagers that most of our populace has become, everyone starts whining how unfair and arbitrary life is against them. How about becoming part of the solution? The faster we participate with public health guidelines the faster we can get back to life as normal. And just in case your wondering, I reject your notion that this is all a big scam to take away our rights as Americans and get us ready for living under socialism. Grow up.