VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WAVY) — The Virginia Department of Health has received about 1,700 complaints so far this month from citizens reporting violations of Virginia’s phase 3 coronavirus guidelines at Virginia Beach businesses.

In a city council meeting Tuesday, Dr. Demetria Lindsay, Virginia Beach’s health director, said most of the violations dealt with restaurants, and two restaurants had their licenses suspended over the weekend. Most of the reported violations deal with people not wearing face coverings indoor public spaces.

The Virginia Department of Health confirmed The Boxx had its food permit suspended for crowding and improper mask use by employees. The other restaurant is Central Shore – for having customers congregating around the bar, which is currently not permitted during Virginia’s Phase 3.

The news comes about a week after the Virginia Department of Health launched an online system to report violations of face coverings and select phase 3 restrictions.

The Norfolk Health District conducted 11 complaint inspections over the weekend, resulting in food permit suspensions at three restaurants: Mack’s Barge, The Living Room and Chicho’s Backstage Cafe.

It is unknown when the closed restaurants would reopen.

The complaints allow a person to list the type of establishment in violation, the name, address, and information pertaining to the violation.

Virginia Beach reported 100-plus new COVID-19 cases again on Tuesday, and already the month of July’s total of cases has exceeded the city’s cumulative amount of cases for the rest of the pandemic, Lindsay said.

Virginia Beach Director of Emergency Management Erin Sutton says 43 city employees are currently out of work because they tested positive for COVID-19. Former City Manager Tom Leahy said about half of the cases are in the Virginia Beach Police Department and the city’s human services department. City police have come under scrutiny for not wearing masks in some cases.

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