Owner Ronnie Spece is still taking online orders at Batch, 118 E. Congress St., but in-person dining at the bourbon and doughnut bar was closed after two employees tested positive for COVID.

 Rebecca Sasnett, Arizona Daily Star

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Several Tucson businesses have temporarily closed and two marquee headliners have postponed their concerts as the omicron variant continues its hold on Pima County.

HSL Properties Tucson Jazz Festival Executive Director Khris Dodge said he is working on new dates for 11-time Grammy nominee Jon Batiste and jazz great Herb Alpert, both of whom pulled out of the event early this week.

Batiste, who was to play Centennial Hall on Jan. 21, postponed his appearance due to β€œunforeseen circumstances” while the 86-year-old Alpert, who was scheduled to perform with his wife, Lani Hall, on Jan. 22, cited health concerns, Dodge said.

Since New Year’s Eve, several businesses including Monsoon Chocolate on East 22nd Street at South Fourth Avenue, Che’s Lounge on North Fourth Avenue and Batch downtown temporarily closed due to COVID exposures and concerns as Arizona’s and Pima County’s infection rates jumped.

On Wednesday, the county reported 1,121 new COVID cases and four new deaths. Statewide, 7,749 additional confirmed cases were reported on Wednesday, according to state health officials.

β€œIt’s unreal that we’ve come this far and now, here we are,” Batch owner Ronnie Spece said Wednesday, a day after he temporarily closed his popular bourbon and doughnut bar at 118 E. Congress St. after two of his employees tested positive for COVID.

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

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

β€œThis 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. β€œWe’ll keep you posted on when we’ll be opening up again ... hopefully by next weekend.”

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

Olivia Reardon tends bar at Saint Charles Tavern, 1632 S. Fourth Ave. The bar closed for five days after an employee tested positive and reopened Tuesday, Jan. 4.

Saint Charles reopened on Tuesday, after five days.

It was the first time since Saint Charles opened fully in January 2021 that it had to pause operations, said owner Elizabeth Menke, who said she shut the bar down after an employee tested positive.

β€œIt feels like what we’ve learned over the last two years is that COVID is going to come in these long waves. I think we are learning how to handle those waves,” she said.

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

β€œWe are trying to make the best of the situation,” said Dodge, who said he was still β€œsuper excited” that the festival returned to in-person this year.

β€œOne of the greatest things that make us human beings in a community is our ability to gather and express ourselves with music,” he said. β€œI 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.”

A sign at Monsoon Chocolate, 234 E. 22nd St., informs customers the business is closed due to a possible exposure to COVID.

The Tucson Desert Song Festival, which runs Jan. 19-March 19, has had one event postponed β€” a recital Jan. 9 with soprano Ailyn PΓ©rez.

Song Festival Director George Hanson said PΓ©rez, who is performing in Europe, pulled out of the festival out of concerns that she could face travel disruptions attempting to return to Europe right after her Tucson recital.

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on air travel with flight staff shortages leading to thousands of cancellations.

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Contact reporter Cathalena E. Burch at cburch@tucson.com. On Twitter @Starburch