Bars in Burlington, Vt., are now limited to operate between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. as of last Thursday, Aug. 20, due to new restrictions passed by the city council aiming to curb the spread of Covid-19. Games continue to stay off.

According to WCAX, the mayor had initially proposed closing even earlier – at 10 p.m. Distancing and mask requirements remain in place, too.

Also a part of the rules… indoor residential gatherings are limited to 10 people and outdoor residential gatherings are limited to 25 people. The city will revisit the decision on Sept. 14.

“It’s kind of a shock,” said Sean McKenzie, the beverage director at The Archives. “I think no one really saw it coming.” The pinball machines and arcade games had already been required to stay down, and the bar was already at 50% capacity and closing down an hour early do to Covid restrictions. Now, they’re being told to lose two of their busiest hours of the night.

“Right now, we are honestly having conversations about if it’s even viable to do this,” he added.