Five Erie County businesses issued COVID-related violations, two issued close orders

The Erie County Department of Health announced five businesses have been issued COVID-related violations and two additional businesses were issued close orders.

FINE TONIGHT.WHAT THEY'RE DOINGIS THEY'RE HAVING AGRAND OLD TIME ANDTHEY'RE SHARINGCOVID AMONGSTTHEMSELVESLOCAL LEADERS POINTOUT A GROWINGTREND THAT ISHURTING THE FIGHTAGAINST COVID-19.AND THEY ARECRACKING DOWN ONPLACES THAT ARE NOTDOING THEIR PART.ERIE COUNTY HASSHUT DOWN THESTAGE IN AMHERSTFOR VIOLATING RULESON FACE MASKS ANDSOCIAL DISTANCING.SEVERAL OTHERESTABLISHMENTSHAVE ALSO BEENCITED.THEY INCLUDE ASTAPLE IN THESOUTHTOWNS --HOAK'S IN HAMBURG.BIMBER'S DELWOOD --PASQUALE'S -- SOUTHSHORE BEACH CLUBAND JUST PIZZA WEREALSO CITED.AS NIKKI DEMENTRIREPORTS -- COVID-19IS NOW AFFECTINGMORE AND MOREYOUNG PEOPLE HEREIN WESTERN NEWYORK."NO ONE IS PERFECT.

ILOOK AT IT AS I'LLNEVER TAKE MY MASKDOWN AGAIN."KEVIN HOAK SAYSFRIDAY NIGHT SERVESAS A LEARNINGEXPERIENCE.HOAK'S IN HAMBURGWAS GIVEN A MASKVIOLATION FROM THEERIE COUNTY HEALTHDEPARTMENT.NATSHE SAYS HE TOOK HISMASK DOWN WHILEBEHIND THE BAR FORQUOTE "A SIP OFWATER" AND KEPT ITDOWN FOR A FEWMINUTES.WHEN SANITARIANSCAME IN TO SERVETHE VIOLATION.HOAKSAYS HE WAS TOLD TOSTEP AWAY TO ANEMPTY AREA TO GRABA REFRESHMENT."THEY'RE JUST DOINGTHEIR JOB.

THEY'REGOING AROUND ANDWE CAN GET THROUGHTHIS EPIDEMIC ANDTHIS VIRUS IF WE ALLJUST KEEP OUR MASKON AND WE SOCIALDISTANCE AND WE ALLJUST FOLLOW THERULES."HOAK SAYS THE ISSUEWAS FIXED ON SITE.HE GOT A WARNING,BUT NO FINE AND HISBUSINESS WASNEVER SHUT DOWN."BAR OWNERS,RESTAURANTEURS,FOOD SERVICEOPERATORS, PLEASEFOLLOW THE LAW.

IT'SAS SIMPLE AS THAT.THE HEALTHDEPARTMENT CLOSEDTHE COWBOY ONCHIPPEWA INDOWNTOWN BUFFALOLAST WEEKEND.THE STAGE INCLARENCE WASCLOSED ON TUESDAY."THE STAGE, IT WASN'TJUST AN INDOOREVENT.

IT WAS ANOUTDOOR EVENT.

THEYHAD PROBABLY ABOUT150 PEOPLE IN THEPARKING LOT,DRINKING BEER,EATING HOT DOGS, SOTHAT WAS A VIOLATION.IT WAS OVER 50PEOPLE."BOTH HAVE TOPROVIDE THE COUNTYWITH A CORRECTIVEACTION PLAN BEFOREREOPENING.ERIE COUNTYEXECUTIVE MARKPOLONCARZ SAYS THESTAGE HAS ALREADYDONE SO.THE COWBOY TELLS 7EYEWITNESS NEWSON FACEBOOK THEYARE WORKING ON APLAN TO RE-OPEN.NATSSINCE THE START OFTHE PANDEMIC, THECOUNTY SAYS IT'SRECEIVED MORE THAN1,200 COMPLAINTS.THE COUNTY CITEDNINEESTABLISHMENTS FORMASK VIOLATIONSLAST WEEK."IT'S BEEN VERY, VERYBUSY FOR OUR PUBLICHEALTH SANITARIANS."COUNTY LEADERS SAYMORE YOUNG PEOPLEARE CONTRACTINGCOVID-19.PEOPLE IN THAT AGEGROUP ARE MORELIKELY TO BE AT BARSAND RESTAURANTS.CITIES LIKEPITTSBURGH HAVESHUT DOWN BARS ANDINDOOR DINING."IF THE NUMBERS GOUP TO SUCH A POINTWHERE WE HAD TOSHUT DOWN THEWHOLE SYSTEM, WEWOULD DO IT.

WEDON'T WANT TO DO IT."ND, 7EWN.