The Newark City Council is set to take a vote on an emergency ordinance on Monday that would close the bar areas in bars and taverns and limit gathering to 10 or fewer people.
WHEREAS, Council has determined a State of Emergency due to COVID-19 exists in the City of Newark, and has further determined it is in the best interests of the State of Delaware and the citizens of Newark to protect them from a potential public health emergency that could threaten the lives of those that live and work in the City of Newark by continuing to take appropriate action to avoid transmission of the disease by limiting social contact of persons within Newark; and
WHEREAS, in order to limit social contact upon persons within Newark, on March 16, 2020 Council adopted Emergency Ordinance No. 20-01, which limited social gatherings to ten (10) persons, and limited restaurants, taverns and bars within the City of Newark to providing food and beverage service through take-out, drive through and off premises delivery; and
That the Code of the City of Newark, Delaware, be hereby amended in the following respects:
AMENDMENT 1: Effective immediately, all social gatherings at any private residence within the City of Newark shall be strictly limited to no more than ten (10) attendees. The
fines for violations of Amendment 1 shall be pursuant to Section 23-20 of the Code of the City of Newark;
AMENDMENT 2: Effective immediately, law enforcement Officers within Newark are hereby directed to order the immediate disbursal of groups of ten or more persons
congregating along the streets and sidewalks of Newark, and take appropriate action against those that disregard said order of dispersal;
AMENDMENT 3: Effective immediately, all restaurants and bars within the City of Newark shall cease bar service of patrons. All restaurant/bar patrons shall be seated at tables,
and such tables and patrons shall be spread out and distanced pursuant to social distancing protocols set forth by Governor Carney and/or the State of Delaware.
Fines for violations of Amendment 3 shall be pursuant to either State Code or Newark Code Section 7-1(g).
