Nassau Bar Shut Down Over Social Distancing Violations
ISLAND PARK, NY — A bar in Nassau County became the first on Long Island to have its liquor license suspended over violations of Gov. Andrew Cuomo's social distancing orders.
The State Liquor Authority (SLA) voted on July 1 to suspend the license of Dox, located at 10 Broadway in Island Park, after repeated violations of social distancing orders were reported by the Nassau County Fire Marshall. The SLA board also criticized the fire marshal for not taking stricter action against the bar.
According to Newsday, Dox is the first location on Long Island to have its liquor license revoked due to social distancing violations. The SLA said the bar had only received its license in April.
“This licensee received repeated warnings and chose to ignore them, causing an unnecessary and avoidable health risk to patrons, employees and the community,” said SLA Chairman Vincent Bradley. “Licensees who ignore these lifesaving protocols are not just jeopardizing their licenses, they’re jeopardizing people’s lives.”
According to the SLA, Dox received five visits from the Nassau County Fire Marshall over a month for complaints of overcrowding, noise and no social distancing. The Fire Marshall gave the bar verbal warnings when inspectors visited on May 17, June 13 and June 19, as well as written warnings on June 20 and 26.
After five visits to the location, the Fire Marshall and SLA investigators visited the bar together on June 27. They found 235 patrons on the bar's patio, which is only licensed to accommodate 42 people. The bar was charged with 42 violations, which included violations from the Fire Marshall and the SLA.
At the meeting to discuss revoking Dox's license, the SLA board of trustees also criticized the Nassau County Fire Marshall for not taking stricter action with the bar. Had Dox been given more than just verbal warnings after the first visits, they said, it may have prevented further violations.
This article originally appeared on the Long Beach Patch
