St. Louis County will allow businesses, including
restaurants and bars, to expand capacity to 50 percent beginning Thursday, at 12:01 a.m.
The change comes with a decrease in cases and improvement of associated metrics, including
hospitalizations, along with continued strong compliance with public health orders.
The current capacity limit is 25 percent. All other safety restrictions for employees and
customers remain in place.
“We have been measured and thoughtful in our response to this pandemic and listened closely to
our various advisory groups on how to reopen our businesses in a way that is safe to employees
and customers,” said County Executive Dr. Sam Page.
The Department of Public Health has worked closely with its Restaurant Advisory Group, which
led to re-opening restaurants at 25 percent capacity on January 4 and relaxing curfew to 11 p.m.,
from 10 p.m., on February 1.
The Department of Public Health still considers indoor dining a risky activity, and St. Louis
County’s Safer at Home Order, as amended, remains in place. It went into effect on Nov. 17.
“While COVID-19 case numbers have decreased and some associated metrics have started to
improve, it is still imperative that stringent mitigation strategies continue to be employed to
control community transmission of the virus, which still has the potential to overwhelm the
health care system in the St. Louis region,” states the amended public health order changing
capacity limits. “The most important action that every individual can take to protect themselves
and others is to limit unnecessary person-to-person interactions outside of their household.”
Under the revised public health order, all restaurants and bars are limited to 50% or less of the
entity’s authorized fire or building code occupancy OR are limited to the number of tables in the
facility where individual groups are able to sit 6 feet apart from other individual groups. All
restaurants and bars must abide by whichever is less.
Also, under the revised public health order, the following guidelines for restaurants and bars
remain in place:
• Close by 11 p.m. for indoor and outdoor service. Carry-out and delivery are not subject
to the 11 p.m. curfew.
• Provide employees and volunteers working in the businesses’ facility with face masks or
supplies to make face coverings.
• Require customers to wear face masks at all times when they are interacting with or being
served by a restaurant employee.
• Require customers to remain seated except when going to the restroom.
• Comply with social distancing requirements, disinfection processes and any additional
applicable requirements as determined by DPH. These additional requirements are posted
on stlcorona.com and relate to general and business-specific operating standards,
guidelines and protocols.
• Assist DPH with contact tracing when asked.
• Weather permitting, all restaurants and bars are encouraged to continue to provide
outdoor service, carryout and delivery.
Banquet facilities are also subject to the 50% capacity limitation OR 50 people or less if the fire
or building code allows 100 or more people. Banquet facilities must comply with all the
operating guidelines of restaurants and bars.
The revised order will be posted on stlcorona.com this afternoon.
