About Me

My photo
Nazareth, Pa., United States

Wednesday, December 23, 2020

Gov. Wolf Has Closed 40 Restaurants For Covid Violations Since Dec 14

According to records maintained by the state Department of Agriculture, Governor Tom Wolf has closed 40 restaurants statewide since December 14 over Covid-9 violations. This includes two restaurants in Lehigh County and one in NorCo.

In addition to closing 40 businesses, he's issued Covid-19 warnings to 180 eateries throughout the Commonwealth, including six in Lehigh and one on NorCo. 

Over this time period, his agents have responded to 84 Covid-19 complaints. They've also conducted 403 inspections.  

22 comments:

Anonymous said...

Bernie the link isn't working. What restaurants in Lehigh and Northampton have been shut down?

Anonymous said...

Unscientific authoritarians gonna unscientifically authoritarian. Ratting on your fellow citizens is as American as ... East Germany. Shame on the complainers. May they suffer unspeakable financial hardship, because they're waaay too comfortable to have empathy.

Anonymous said...

Some of these places are not even trying. Saw it first hand.

Anonymous said...

What "science" is Wolf following? According to NY Dept.of Health, the transmission rate in restaurants is 1.8% AND the Pa. Dept. of unemployment compensation is a mess!!
What a scrooge!!

Bernie O'Hare said...

I do not have the names of the establishments closed. Cannot fix link until I return to the bunker.

Bernie O'Hare said...

2:02, notice that there are relatively few snitches.

TJD said...

Extra 'c' in the original link...try this:
https://www.agriculture.pa.gov/consumer_protection/FoodSafety/retail-food-inspection-reports/Pages/COVID-19-Restaurant-Enforcement.aspx#

Anonymous said...

We can’t sit in a restaurant, but we can shop until we drop at the very crowded mall. I want to see the data showing that these places were Covid incubators.

Bernie O'Hare said...

5:12, any study presumes all restaurants are the same, but they differ. Some have great air circulation and are spacious. Others have poor air circulation and are crammed. So I think Wolf overreached. ... Again.

Bernie O'Hare said...

I fixed the link and thank the commenter who provided the correct one. Sorry, folks.

Anonymous said...

I am glad that these eating establishments are deifying & many are continuing to deify the tyrant Wolf despite being told to close. His initial order was ruled unconstitutional which means this one is also. I have and will continue to patronize any dining in eating establishment that is open.

Anonymous said...

That's funny, what I usually hear is how magnificently restaurants are making their places safe. You mean some play fast and loose with public safety? Shocking!

Anonymous said...

3.23
" the transmission rate in restaurants is 1.8% "
so out of 500 thousand folks a month in the restaurant business.(customers,workers,suppliers,etc) gives you 9000 cases a month with say a 2 percent death rate.so 180 people can die so some folks can get their pancakes.
yep guess pancakes are really important.
not to mention say a thousand get the hospital routine and there goes 50 grand a pop.
add to that the testing at 50 bucks a pop.
And the long term health effects of those that catch it.
For pancakes?

Anonymous said...

American Lobster open and packed in Wind Gap , for everyone wishing to make a statement.

Bernie O'Hare said...

There really is no way of knowing the transmission rate at restaurants bc most people refuse to cooperate with contract tracers. It could be 1.8%, higher or lower. As I said earlier, it really depends on the type of restaurant. If it is spacious and there is good outside air circulation, my guess (and this is purely a guess) is that it would be safer there than at most businesses. If it is cramped with poor air circulation, I'd stay away or go when less busy.

As I've maintained from the onset, I reject the notion that the Governor's police power extends this far and for so long. But when corona is surging, I'd stay away myself. Before the closure, I stopped visiting my gym bc too many customers refused to wear their masks properly. I only would go if impossible to get my workout in outdoors and at home. But that should be up to me, not Wolf.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"American Lobster open and packed in Wind Gap , "

I'd avoid any restaurant that is packed right now.

Anonymous said...

Yeah well we have citizenry that are NOT taking personal responsibility and they are helping to keep this thing going. That makes a longer window before we can open up which is why the state needs to step in. So I guess you all object to getting fined for not wearing seatbelts or losing your license for driving drunk too?

Anonymous said...

try
https://wjactv.com/news/local/40-pa-restaurants-ordered-to-close-for-defying-gov-wolfs-indoor-dining-ban-officials?

"12/18/2020American Lobster1420 Jacobsburg RDWind GapNorthhampton County"

"12/16/2020Mad Dogs Hot Dog Macungie14 N Poplar STMacungieLehigh County
12/18/2020Riley's Restaurant & Pub4505 Main ST Egypt-WhitehallLehigh County"

"40 restaurants were closed by order after they were confirmed to be open for dine-in service and refused to comply with the order."
The restaurants were warned first so they earned the closure order.

Anonymous said...

10.08
"So I guess you all object to getting fined for not wearing seatbelts or losing your license for driving drunk too?"
those restaurants are first talked to, then fined and then ordered to close after they refuse to comply.
They have plenty of opportunity to change their methods or come into compliance before they are ordered to close.
Another issue is what happens if say a hotdog joint(which was ordered to close)has an employee who has covid and contact tracing shows a customer caught covid from that employee?
The restaurant owners liability insurance company might have a problem paying a claim for a business that was ordered to close.

Bernie O'Hare said...

"So I guess you all object to getting fined for not wearing seatbelts or losing your license for driving drunk too?"

That is a bad analogy. Wearing a seatbelt or staying sober has no adverse financial consequences. Closing a business does.

"what happens if say a hotdog joint(which was ordered to close)has an employee who has covid and contact tracing shows a customer caught covid from that employee?"

This is a good argument but a business that is open now and not subject to a closure order could be sued, too. I personally reject the contention that ignoring a closure order is per se negligence bc it violates constitutional rights. To me, the question would revolve around whether the owner took steps that are designed to stop transmission. But I concede you make a good point here.

Anonymous said...

Nope Bernie, there are financial consequences when accidents happen and people and property are damaged. Its not a perfect analogy but it points to the fact that irresponsible citizens are a drag on the community at large and so the state sometimes has to step in to minimize it.

Anonymous said...

"" the transmission rate in restaurants is 1.8% "
so out of 500 thousand folks a month in the restaurant business.(customers,workers,suppliers,etc) gives you 9000 cases a month with say a 2 percent death rate.so 180 people can die so some folks can get their pancakes.
yep guess pancakes are really important.
not to mention say a thousand get the hospital routine and there goes 50 grand a pop.
add to that the testing at 50 bucks a pop.
And the long term health effects of those that catch it.
For pancakes?"

If you think the benefits of shutting down restaurants outweigh the cost, make an actual argument rather than knocking down a ridiculous straw man. Do you really think the outrage at restaurant closures is just about wanting the luxury of going out to eat pancakes? Do you know anyone who works as a waiter/waitress? Owners, cooks, and especially the servers who rely on tips for their livelihood are suffering greatly due to these lockdowns. I don't even LIKE eating out; I've been getting take out as often as possible to try to help keep some of these local restaurants afloat. I speak to the cashiers and servers every time I go in. There are no tips, few customers. These people are HURTING. So again, if you think locking down restaurants is worth the damage it does to slow the spread of COVID, make your case. But take the counterargument seriously: it's about working people being able to make a living; it's not about pancakes.