State completes 1,100 COVID compliance checks

NEW YORK--Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the multi-agency task force to combat violations of coronavirus-related regulations at bars and restaurants conducted nearly 1,100 compliance checks between July 21 and July 23, documenting violations at 84 establishments. The task force is led by State Liquor Authority Chairman Vincent Bradley and State Police Lieutenant Colonel Dominick Chiumento. Businesses found in violation of COVID-19 regulations face fines up to $10,000 per violation, while egregious violations can result in the immediate suspension of a bar or restaurant's liquor license. This week, the SLA has summarily suspended the liquor licenses of ten establishments in New York City and on Long Island - including six in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens.
"We are very proud of what New Yorkers did to flatten the curve of the virus, but we have to protect our progress because no one wants to do that again," Cuomo said. "That's why we're watching the bar and restaurant violations and the congregations in front of these establishments, as we believe it's connected to the increased infection rate with young people. We've tasked the State Liquor Authority and the State Police to help local governments more aggressively enforce the law and they are doing just that, with dozens of violations found last night alone."
Since the start of the pandemic emergency, the SLA has brought 443 charges against licensees statewide and imposed 33 Emergency Orders of Suspension, immediately closing establishments. A list of licensees charged, and businesses served with summary suspension orders, can be found online at http://sla.ny.gov/eo-summary-and-charges-tracker.
The task force also includes investigators from the Department of Health, Department of Financial Services, Department of Motor Vehicles, Department of Taxation and Finance, the New York State Insurance Fund and the Department of Agriculture and Markets.