Philadelphia, PA - Hundreds of businesses in Pennsylvania are defying the governor's statewide order to suspend indoor dining, arguing that the cost of closing is worse than being issues a state fine.
Pennsylvania Orders 40 Business Across The State to Close
After Governor Wolf ordered restaurants and bars to suspend indoor dining till Jan. 4th, hundreds of business owners across the state have ignored the governor's order.
As a result of more than 400 inspections across the state of the restaurant and retail foodservice industry from Dec.14th through Dec.20th. The Department of Agriculture has ordered a number of businesses to close for violating the state's temporary indoor dining order.
According to a Department of Agriculture press release, a number of restaurants across the state were ordered closed for defying Gov. Tom Wolf’s COVID-19 indoor dining ban.
The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Food also received around 84 COVID-19 related complaints and has issued around 180 warnings to restaurants who violated the current indoor dining ban.
Pennsylvania officials last week warned business across the state, that defying the order could be fined as well as ordered closed. As of now, 40 establishments were confirmed to still be open and are being ordered to close.
The next step for businesses continuing to ignore the dining ban will be legal action by The Pennsylvania Department of Health.