Sedgwick County loosens restrictions on bars, restaurants and venues

Starting Saturday, bars and restaurants in Sedgwick County will be able to stay open until 2 a.m., Deputy County Manager Tim Kaufman said Friday.

It’s one of the changes that county officials announced Friday, citing the lowering spread of COVID-19 as the driver behind health officer Dr. Garold Minns’ decision to amend the contentious local health order.

The new order takes effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27.

Another change in the new health order allows venues with a capacity between 400 and 1,000 people to operate at 25% capacity without prior approval. An approval will still be needed for venues with a capacity of more than 1,000 people.

It was the second change the county announced Friday. Earlier in the day, the county reduced the age threshold from 70 to 65 for eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations.

This story was originally published February 26, 2021 at 4:40 PM.