Jacob Ogles
Among the bars and social clubs shuttered during the pandemic, Florida closed down American Legion and VFW locations statewide.
In what’s still the most significant step back from a phased reopening, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation on June 26 suspended on-premises alcohol consumption at Florida bars.
An amended order issued on July 1 makes clear that it doesn’t just shut down late-night bars popular with college kids. It also impacts veteran-friendly drinking holes around the state, the kind where officials often visit to issue awards for active and retired soldiers living in the state.
“DBPR has elected to enforce closure of private social clubs, lodges, fraternal groups, benevolent associations, American Legions, and VFWs to prevent social gatherings and the transmission of COVID-19,” wrote Michael Johnston, Deputy Secretary of Business Regulation, in an email distributed to affected organizations.
The Department of Florida VFW, a nonprofit organization, shared the explanation on its Facebook page last week. The opinion drew an expected level of pushback.
“All of the veterans fought at one time or another for our freedom, yet our state is taking that away from them,” wrote Sandy Kveton, of Sebastian. “It’s a person[al] Choice to enter a VFW or an American Legion when they are open … well, it should be anyway.”
Officials at the agency stress the order only applies to the special licenses for VFW and American Legion locations to sell alcohol on premises. If an organization has a separate license for selling food, that’s still good so long as no one is pairing dishes with drinks.
Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears wrote on Twitter about the amended order, saying he didn’t want confusion over the state’s direction. The amendment sought “to remove any ambiguity for bar & restaurant owners as well as local law enforcement as to what is temporarily to remain closed.”
The same order making clear VFWs and American Legion chapters can’t stay open makes clear many restaurants can still keep serving drinks at tables and bar tops. Even cigar bars can still keep the taps flowing if they enforce social distancing and keep drink consumption on-premises. Nightclubs remain closed down.
Establishments can also serve up sealed drinks to go, even bars that don’t sell food. They just can’t serve up drinks on site.
Notably, the often older clientele toasting at VFWs faces higher risk from the COVID-19 pandemic than young demographics typically. While those aged 65 and older comprise roughly 14% of all COVID-19 cases in Florida, that demographic makes up 83% of deaths of individuals with the disease.
The state started cracking down on drinking establishments shortly after a new surge in COVID-19 cases began within the state of Florida. Health officials since then sounded alarms that South Florida had become the latest epicenter for the pandemic in the U.S.
5 comments
DisplacedCTYankee
July 14, 2020 at 9:26 am
The veterans of my generation (Vietnam) who haven’t already died from exposure to Agent Orange can look forward to dying of Covid-19.
Ted mahala
July 15, 2020 at 9:09 am
Double standards for who can open ? BPR is a joke, cigar bars can open but not veterans organizations? Members only, cigar bars are open to public?
Lucrecia Sears
July 15, 2020 at 5:17 pm
And while we are at it, can we address the rise in Veteran suicides? So many of these VETERANS, that see a therapist, etc. have been restricted due to Covid. They can not have comfortable meeting/sessions as they used to. If they get to go in at all, because most are trying zoom or phone sessions, if they get in, then it is talking 45 minutes with a mask on, which makes many of them uncomfortable from the start. On top of that many have no family left or some in other states. Meaning that their local VFW is their only Family. We make sure they eat, have meds, get to a barber, their pets aren’t in need, etc. Anyone who has served or been a spouse, child, etc. Of a Veteran knows your comrades become family, as your family in a lot of cases are in another state or another country away. They have all learned to lean on each other. Now you take that away from them? We know cigarettes will eventually kill you, yet it is a person’s choice, same with so many other things. This should be anyone’s choice (a Veterans right!)
If I go into a Chili’s, Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, etc. There are at least 3 times the number of people in there at 1 time, then there ever are at our local VFW. We also put in the mask ordinance, social distancing, and 50% capacity rules. On top of that we have a certified full service kitchen license, which we are inspected, by health department etc. To have, so we can serve food full time. So please tell me how a cigar bar, that does not sell food, is ok, and chain restaurant/bars with triple the people are less exposed? Tell me how it is not MORE important to be here for OUR VETERANS? We have members 90+ so we are telling them it’s more important for them to die at home alone (because at that age it could happen anytime) then to be around THEIR FAMILY, and chance covid. After all they have been through? REALLY???
Cheryl Ace Combs
July 16, 2020 at 8:18 am
https://www.flgov.com/2020-executive-orders/
I do not see any extended order signed on July 1st, indicating any of this. Nor can I verify it on the DBPR website. Please forward your supporting link to your claim.
Armond Laframboise
July 19, 2020 at 9:47 am
Lucrecia did a fantastic job of explaining our confusion as to why the DBPR is targeting Veterans organizations. We have fought much tougher enemies than this virus. Our American Legion Post in Tampa has close to 1000 members and only 1 known case of COVID-19 that was contracted outside of our Post. That individual self quarantined so not to expose fellow Comrades. Cigar bars should not be able to serve alcohol if the American Legion and VFW post can’t. We serve food and are licensed to do so but not through DBPR. For Cheryl, check link for Emergency Order( not executive order) 2020-09. Veterans know how to follow orders and that is why we are much safer in the Posts than restuarant. Ps…DBPR Emergency Order does NOT cite that the license to serve food, which is an exemption from EO 2020-09, must be from their office. The strong arm of Florida politics seems to be at work via DBPR and ABT.
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