Bar set high for Florida bars, breweries reopening as state agents prepare for social distancing enforcement

ORLANDO, Fla. — The bar is high for Florida bars and breweries as they reopen across the state.

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, which regulates bars and breweries, says it will not be going easy on them if they violate the reopening rules.

Orange County’s top epidemiologist, Dr. Raul Pino, said he fears bars may be reopening too soon.

READ: Florida bars reopen at 50% capacity, to be monitored by state

“But I do understand that society has to move forward,” Pino said. “That we have to learn to live with this virus. That we cannot be hiding in a basement for the rest of the year.”

Pino said we are bound to see another increase in cases, but that he just hopes it won’t be as bad as it was in July.

Both he and state agents say it’s really going to be up to how customers behave whether bars will be able to remain open this time.

READ: Orange County COVID-19 strike team expands monitoring as Florida bars prepare to reopen

Halsey Beshears, the secretary of DBPR, said there won’t be any second chances for bars that blatantly allow overcrowding.

“The egregious actors out there, we are going to suspend their licenses and go after those people that don’t want to follow the rules,” he said.

DBPR changed its agents' hours for this weekend so they’ll be working much later in the night to keep a close eye on bars when they’re usually the busiest.

VIDEO: Florida bars reopen at 50% capacity, to be monitored by state

© 2020 Cox Media Group