Report: Luke Bryan’s Florida Cigar Bar Crowded With No Distancing at Early Re-Opening
Patrons at Luke Bryan's cigar bar in Florida were getting close and not taking any precautions against the spread of the coronavirus during its grand re-opening on Friday (May 1), according to a video that has surfaced.
TMZ has published a video that was purportedly shot at Bryan's Shore Thing Cigars establishment in Watersound, Fla., on Friday. The clip shows patrons singing during karaoke night, crowded into the room while practicing no social distancing, and nobody in the video appears to be wearing a mask or any protective equipment. The video is available at TMZ's website.
The venue turned to social media on Friday to announce that it would re-open at 11AM, and that the grand re-opening would feature karaoke.
Pictures from the Shore Thing Cigars website appear to match the room depicted in the video.
Shore Thing Cigars is also advertising "cigars, crawfish and beer" beginning at noon on Saturday (May 2).
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his plan to gradually re-open the state's businesses in a news conference on Wednesday (April 29). The first phase of the plan will allow most areas of Florida to open restaurants and stores, while limiting the number of patrons to 25 percent capacity, according to Newsweek. Restaurants can also offer outdoor seating with at least six feet between tables. DeSantis' plan also calls for patrons to avoid groups of more than 10 people where there is no opportunity for physical distancing and to wear a mask during all face-to-face interactions. Bars and gyms will remain closed during the first phase of the plan.
Florida's stay at home order expired on April 30. The plan to re-open restaurants is supposed to begin on Monday (May 4). It's unclear why Shore Thing Cigars was open before that date, or how it might be impacted by capacity rules or other guidelines of DeSantis' plan.
Bryan has not commented on the video or TMZ's report.
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