NEWPORT, R.I. (AP) — Ten restaurants across Rhode Island have been cited by the state Department of Health for failing to comply with regulations meant stop the spread of the coronavirus, the agency said in a statement Wednesday.
The establishments were issued compliance orders after inspectors witnessed staff and customers not wearing masks, not practicing social distancing, and for not screening patrons for symptoms of COVID-19, the agency said.
Many were issued compliance orders because customers were being served while seated at bar areas without the necessary physical barriers in place.
“There are restaurants throughout Rhode Island that are doing a great job welcoming and serving customers in a way that is healthy and safe,” department Director Nicole Alexander-Scott said in a statement. “The few that are not are hurting the entire industry, jeopardizing the safety of their customers, and setting Rhode Island back in our work to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”
One restaurant received an immediate compliance order requiring it to close immediately because the violations were considered an imminent threat to public health.
The Rhode Island Department of Health reported 61 news confirmed cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday, just one day after reporting a two-month high of 119 new confirmed cases in a single day.
