Long Island businesses cited for social-distancing, mask violations

More than two dozen Long Island businesses have been cited for social-distancing and mask violations since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic.

County, town, city and police officials said they first warn businesses and only issue violations if warnings aren’t heeded.

Last weekend, the first since restaurants could offer outdoor dining, people packed close together, most without face coverings, on sidewalks in several Long Island downtowns, sometimes spilling onto the streets.

On Friday night along New York Avenue in Huntington, crowds were smaller.

“Last Friday, it just seemed like everybody was obviously just cooped up for so long and when they came out, they were out pretty hard,” said Andrew Affa, manager of Mission Taco, where no one was standing in front of tables as he spoke.

Affa said the crowds outside his restaurant on June 12 were primarily people who “were going from bar to bar and having takeout drinks and congregating in the streets in front of storefronts” rather than his customers.

Affa said he has had to tell several people who were standing outside his restaurant in the past few days to move along.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, irritated by reports of large crowds inside and outside restaurants and bars in Manhattan, the Hamptons and elsewhere, issued an executive order Thursday allowing the immediate suspension of alcohol licenses of businesses that violate coronavirus-related restrictions, and saying that businesses are responsible for conduct within 100 feet of their premises.

The state liquor authority already is considering revoking the license of Dublin Deck in Patchogue, where a May 22 video showed people crowded together inside. A bar owner has said the crowd stemmed from people running inside from the rain.

That business is one of two in Suffolk County against which action was taken after “significant violations,” said County Executive Steve Bellone.

Typically, though, the police department educates businesses on the rules before issuing violations, said Suffolk Police Chief Stuart Cameron.

“There has to be some understanding that early on you are likely to see some violations," Bellone said.

Phase 3, which Long Island is on track to begin on Wednesday, includes indoor dining at 50% capacity, and “an indoor situation is of higher risk than an outdoor situation” because there is less air circulation dispersing the virus, said Dr. Bruce Polsky, chairman of medicine at NYU Winthrop Hospital.

The Nassau County fire marshal’s office is girding to enforce the new rules, said Michael Uttaro, assistant chief fire marshal.

Nassau has received more than 3,400 coronavirus-related complaints, and of the 2,665 that the fire marshal has handled, 825 led to warnings, he said. There were about 25 appearance tickets written for coronavirus-related violations, which can lead to maximum penalties of $10,000.

“The vast majority of these places are usually handled by just speaking with the people and educating them,” with appearance tickets issued as a "last resort," Uttaro said.

That includes such non-restaurant businesses as gyms, one of which was warned multiple times before it was issued an appearance notice — and then a second notice after it remained open, he said.

In Long Beach, several summonses have been issued, also only after warnings, said John McNally, executive assistant to the city manager. “We’re empathetic to their plight” during the pandemic, he said of businesses.

State regulations also require social distancing in places like beaches. Newsday visited several East End beaches Friday, and although few people were wearing masks, they were generally practicing social distancing.

At Southold Town beaches, additional police staff have been dispatched to remind people to keep their distance and wear masks, said Southold Town Police Chief Martin Flatley.

In Riverhead, the limiting of beach access to town residents may have kept social-distancing violations low, said Supervisor Yvette Aguiar.

In Southampton Town, which also restricts beaches to residents, Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said if the number of COVID-19 cases spikes or there is widespread flouting of social distancing, the town could impose more restrictions, but “people seem to be following the rules.”

At Roc & Olive restaurant in Long Beach, staff sometimes need to remind outdoor diners to put on masks if they need to use indoor restrooms, but customers have always been compliant, said owner Sandra Prado.

The state requires 6 feet of distance between a table or patron and a “pedestrian thoroughfare.” The governor’s office wasn’t able Saturday to clarify whether this means a sidewalk. Few Long Island sidewalks are large enough to accommodate tables, 6 feet of no activity and then space for pedestrians to walk. A Suffolk spokesman didn’t respond to inquiries on enforcement of that provision; a Nassau spokesman said only that all state rules are being enforced.

Spotlight Art Bar in Huntington on Friday installed stanchions with canvas belts on parking spaces next to the sidewalk to provide a socially distant walkway for pedestrians, said manager James Visalli, who stood near a chalkboard on which was written: “You Look Hot in That Mask.”

“We’re just trying to keep people as far away from the tables and keep everything spaced, the way everybody’s supposed to be doing,” Visalli said.

By David Olson

david.olson@newsday.com,jeanpaul.salamanca@newsday.com@DavidOlson11,

David Olson covers health care. He has worked at Newsday since 2015 and previously covered immigration, multicultural issues and religion at The Press-Enterprise in Southern California.