4th LI Bar Has Liquor License Suspended For COVID Violations
LONG BEACH, NY — Mio Posto Ristorante in Long Beach became the fourth Long Island establishment to have its liquor license suspended due to violations of social distancing orders.
Over the last month, the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) has been cracking down on bars and restaurants that are not enforcing social distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. Dox in Island Park was the first bar on Long Island to have its license suspended. EB Elliot's in Freeport and Secrets Gentlemen's Club in Deer Park also had their licenses suspended.
"Five months into this pandemic, New Yorkers have bent the curve — achieving and maintaining one of the lowest rates of infection in the country, including ten straight days with less than 1 percent of tests returning positive — but with outbreaks across the nation, we cannot let our guard down," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a release. "These bar regulations are designed to keep New Yorkers safe, and the State Liquor Authority and state police are stepping up to supplement local enforcement and make sure the rules are followed. My message to bar owners is the same: this is about protecting the health of your employees, your patrons and the public writ large. These are serious violations, and we are taking aggressive action because there are simply no more excuses for non-compliance."
The license suspension for Mio Posto — located at 777 W. Beech St. — was part of a weekend crackdown by a multi-agency task force led by the state police and the SLA. Between Friday and Sunday nights, the task force conducted 3,375 compliance checks across the state, and found violations at 66 establishments. Of those, 16 establishments had their licenses suspended, bringing the totals suspensions in the state to 148.
According to the state, Long Beach Police Department officers responded to Mio Posto on Aug. 8 after calls of extremely loud music. When the officers arrived, officials say they found 20 patrons congregating outside. There were about 200 patrons inside the restaurant, officials said, which had a maximum occupancy of 145 to comply with coronavirus restrictions. About half of the patrons were in a room with no tables or chairs, officials said. They were standing, drinking, not wearing masks and ignoring social distancing guidelines, officials said.
Long Beach police previously issued warnings to Mio Posto on two occasions in late July, officials said.
The emergency summary suspensions are imposed when the SLA finds the continued operation of a licensed business threatens public health and safety. Suspension orders are served immediately and remain in effect indefinitely, with fines of up to $10,000 per violation. The maximum penalty is the permanent revocation of the license. Licensees subject to an emergency suspension are entitled to a hearing before an SLA Administrative Law Judge.
This article originally appeared on the Long Beach Patch
