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State Ag Department issues warning to restaurants ignoring closure order
State Ag Department issues warning to restaurants ignoring closure order
Restaurants that refused to comply with Gov. Tom Wolf’s three-week mitigation plan to limit the spread of COVID-19 received warning letters from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture‘s Bureau of Food Safety and Laboratory Services this week.
As of Saturday, December 12 and until January 4, Pennsylvania restaurants are prohibited from offering indoor dining following a set of orders announced by Wolf on Dec. 10
On Monday, the department received 150 reports of restaurants that opened during the weekend despite the orders. Of those 150, some were reported incorrectly and had not been open but others received a letter from the department threatening further action if they remained open, according to Shannon Powers, press secretary for the state Department of Agriculture.
“In the 24 follow-up visits completed prior to the storm yesterday, 15 businesses were observed to be violating the order and were issued closure notices,” Powers said, adding that those numbers do not include the state’s most populous cities and counties whose health departments inspect restaurants.
In the warning letter, reminds businesses that the limited-time mitigation order is mandatory.
“Your decision is troubling in that it runs counter to the mitigation efforts others throughout the entire Commonwealth are engaging in, places individuals at risk of harm and greatly increases the likelihood of spreading COVID-19,” the letter states.
The letter goes on to say that failure to comply with the orders could result in sanctions, including closure. The restaurants that receive closure notices will be referred to the Department of Health for further action if they refuse to comply.
The Department of Agriculture is not the only state department enforcing the orders. The Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, local law enforcement as well as the departments of Health, State and Labor and Industry are also enforcing the orders.
The warning letter
