The state cited 65 companies for violating the COVID-19 rules. See where they are

A Whitefield restaurant that served a room full of unmasked diners without any social distance and even offered an open-air buffet is among 65 Maine companies that have now been cited by Maine health officials for violating rules designed to prevent COVID- 19.

A review of the state data provided to the Portland Press Herald found that nearly a dozen new “imminent health hazard” quotes were issued to Maine companies in the first two weeks of December, and about 40 companies have been cited since October 1. The quotes were issued by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.

Violators include many restaurants and other snack bars. The most common violation was the failure to require face masks for employees and customers. Facial coverage is a general requirement and has been shown to be the easiest and most effective way to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

At least two establishments that broke Maine’s COVID-19 rules received subsidies worth thousands of dollars from the state, for which they should be ineligible because of their health violations.

Adrienne Goodwin, owner of River Lanes, a bowling alley in Bethel, said that coronavirus restrictions are destroying her business. River Lanes received a citation of imminent health danger in August because its employees and customers did not wear masks. His operating license was suspended in November for another breach.

“I basically don’t agree with the restrictions,” said Goodwin. “I don’t have customers, because nobody wants to play with those restrictions.”

It is unfair that their businesses are treated in the same way as those in parts of the state, such as Portland, which have more COVID-19 cases, Goodwin said. The government should judge restrictions on individual companies based on their ability to operate safely, she added. Oxford County has the fourth highest rate of COVID-19 cases per 10,000 residents, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I think after 10 months of these things, they need to start looking for county and company, because we can no longer survive this,” said Goodwin.

River Lanes received $ 40,169 from Maine’s second round of Economic Recovery Grants in November, almost two months after his first health mention and weeks after his license was temporarily suspended. The grant was part of a $ 200 million small business aid program, financed with federal money provided to Maine last spring.

River Lanes should not have received the concession. To receive funds, companies had to be consistently compliant and not be subject to any enforcement action under the COVID-19 requirements.

“I thought they would be smart enough to check their own records,” said Goodwin. “At the moment, I would be in the negative if I didn’t have that $ 40,000. I’m just trying to keep the bank from taking my business. “

Applicants for the grant program must sign a document proving that their information is true and accurate and, if not, they may need to repay the funds.

“That was a mistake,” said Kate Foye, communications director for the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development. “We notified the company and will work with it during the process”.

Pat’s Pizza in Dover-Foxcroft was approved for a $ 36,000 loan reserved for hospitality companies this month, but was cited for employee masks, signage and contract tracking violations in November. The company will not receive the subsidy, said Foye.

Pizzeria owner Bob Ade said employees are forced to wear masks. But he forgot his when he ran to meet the health inspector and found himself inside the restaurant without him, Ade said.

His team collected contract tracking information for months, but gave up when customers – overwhelmingly known to everyone there – began to refuse to cooperate and gave fake names like Mickey Mouse and Joe Biden, Ade said. The restaurant usually has public health notices posted, but they were removed when the windows were cleaned, he said.

The restrictions make normal business impossible, and Ade said he thinks the general restrictions are unfair. The regulations must be determined county by county, just as the state does for school security, he said. The policing of all regulations is in danger of alienating the regular customers who keep his business running, and now, because of his slip, he has lost the concession that would keep him running.

“I feel like everything I tried to work on in my life is slowly being chipped and taken away from me,” said Ade. “My business has fallen 62% compared to last year – we are trying to do what we can. I am concerned about my business. I want to do what is right ”.

Maine Health Inspection Program officials cited 65 establishments for COVID-19-related violations between May and mid-December, according to DHHS records. About 40 percent of citations were issued between November 1 and December 15, when the state experienced a deadly increase in COVID-19 cases. In almost all cases, the failure to demand masks, most often from employees, was the reason for the quote.

Masks have been a requirement for the team since the state allowed companies to reopen in May. The use of a mask in all public environments has been mandatory since the beginning of November.

“The number of complaints has declined in recent weeks,” said Foye, of the economic development department. “We are seeing better compliance, but we all need to remain vigilant.”

One of the most egregious cases of breaking the rules involved Tia Gin’s, a restaurant in Whitefield that was quoted on December 15. The citation notes state that the company’s team members “did not wear face covers.” He also noted a “failure to implement measures to maintain a distance of six feet between seated customers or customers in line, customers who do not use facial covers, exceeding the indoor occupancy limit”, and that the restaurant had a “buffet set up” .

The restaurant owners did not respond to two requests for an interview.

Establishments are advised and informed on how to follow the rules before being disciplined. Many alerts and inspections are triggered by citizen complaints sent online to the state.

Two months ago, the state restricted the duration of health risk quotes to ensure compliance. Before November, when a company was cited, the registration would expire if it agreed to comply and remained so for 30 days.

Now, a quote remains in effect during the public health emergency, Foye said. This means that once an establishment is disciplined, another breach can lead to suspension of the license until the state of emergency declared by Governor Janet Mills ends.

So far, only companies regulated by the state’s Health Inspection Program, which includes restaurants, have been punished for violations of COVID-19. But hundreds of others have been notified of likely non-compliance and several have been formally warned by the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

The department’s Quality Assurance and Regulation wing, which regulates stores that sell packaged food, has warned more than 1,300 stores by email after receiving complaints, said spokesman Jim Britt.

Eleven companies – including five Walmart locations – received final compliance notices, Britt added.

“Most, if not all, of the companies we contacted, after receiving a warning letter and a discussion with the inspection team, made measurable changes,” said Britt. “In most cases, these companies did not understand what they were supposed to do and wanted to do the right thing.”

Walmart stores in Presque Isle, Calais, Skowhegan, Ellsworth and Augusta received identical final warning letters on December 1, in an attempt to get them to follow facial coverage rules.

“COVID-19 is a significant threat to public health. It is imperative that your company acts responsibly to avoid aggravating this public health emergency, requiring facial coverage for all employees and customers ”, says the letter.

Stores had 48 hours to correct the violations.

The letters were delivered by hand in stores “the same day, because this was a coordinated response to numerous simultaneous complaints about non-compliance with Walmart’s five stores,” said Britt. The stores have since followed the rules, he added.

Arkansas-based Walmart Inc. praised its health and safety measures during COVID-19 and, in July, became the first major retailer to require masks in its stores across the country. Less than a week before Maine locations receive final warnings, the company’s chief operating officer said in a press release that the company was focused on maintaining employee and customer safety, including masking, distance, improved cleanliness and duplication of “health ambassadors” in stores to remind people to follow safety standards.

Walmart did not respond when asked by email whether it was complying with Maine regulations in the five stores and what it would do to prevent future lapses.

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