TAMPA, Fla — Bars are reopened, but there are certain regulations in place to help keep customers and owners safe.
Capacity must not exceed 50 percent and customers are allowed to be served at the bar as long as social distancing is adhered to.
In order to keep bars safe, Tampa police officers went bar to bar in SoHo and Ybor City to help educate owners and staff on policies and hopefully avoid enforcement in the future.
"We want to be out here, right from the beginning, educating them and getting their cooperation now in the beginning and showing that we care, and we want people to be safe and cooperating with us in social distancing," said Lt. Martha Murillo with Tampa PD.
This weekend, officers will also be stationed in SoHo, to be in place should anything go wrong. There are officers patrolling that area nearly every weekend.
If a bar does receive a complaint and the issue escalates, it could result in them losing their license.
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