46 PA Bars Cited For COVID Violations Over New Years Weekend

PENNSYLVANIA — State police in Pennsylvania were busy over New Years weekend, issuing citations and warnings to dozens of bars and restaurants for violations of the COVID-19 mitigation orders.

From Dec. 31 through Jan. 3, a total of 46 violation citations and 37 warnings were issued, the state Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement announced on Monday. Officials said they visited 1,091 establishments to check on compliance with the rules.

This enforcement, which focused strictly on establishments with liquor licenses, is separate from closure orders issued by the Department of Agriculture to restaurants refusing to comply with the ban on indoor dining.

The statistics cover New Years Eve and New Years Day, and run up to the ending point of the additional restrictions prohibiting indoor dining and drinking. Those orders expired on Jan. 4.

Though they spurred sharp backlash from the restaurant industry — and led to hundreds of establishments across Pennsylvania to announce their open defiance — officials are confident that those orders were effective.

"Our efforts over the past several weeks are working," Gov. Tom Wolf said last week. "We’ve begun to flatten the curve of new cases. But we're not out of the woods yet."

A list of violators was not published by the state, though 11 of the 46 violations were issued by the Punxsutawney area field office. Other violators were spread throughout the state, with 5 from the Pittsburgh area, 9 in the Allentown area, and 7 from the Wilkes Barre area. The Philadelphia office did not issue any violations.

The state said that they were declining to release the names of violators because investigations are ongoing.

Violators could receive administrative citations from the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, and continued citations could lead to a loss of their liquor license.