Tucson bars, businesses close and concerts are postponed amid COVID surge

The outbreak was the first for Batch since the pandemic started in March 2020. Spece noted that his staff is fully vaccinated.

“We kind of feel lucky and like we were overdue,” said Spece, who hopes to reopen his 6-year-old bar on Tuesday, Jan. 11. 

“This is a huge bummer … we want nothing more than to be open for you,” officials at Monsoon Chocolate, 234 E. 22nd St., wrote on Facebook Sunday, Jan. 2, citing a potential COVID exposure. “We’ll keep you posted on when we’ll be opening up again … hopefully by next weekend.”

Two other popular Tucson bars — Che’s Lounge on North Fourth Avenue and Saint Charles Tavern on South Fourth Avenue — also temporarily closed, with both citing health concerns. 

Saint Charles reopened on Tuesday, after five days. 

The Jazz Festival’s Dodge described the omicron variant is a “fluid situation” that could further impact the festival, which runs Jan. 14-23. 

“We are trying to make the best of the situation,” said Dodge, who said he was still “super excited” that the festival returned to in-person this year.

“One of the greatest things that make us human beings in a community is our ability to gather and express ourselves with music,” he said. “I know what we bring to the community and what we present in live music is important. What we do does make a difference in a small slice of the pie that is our community.”