State Police Liquor Control issues 44 warnings for pandemic compliance

Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement officers issued 44 warnings this week for licensed liquor establishments failing to follow covid-19 requirements, officials said Friday.

Liquor Control Enforcement officers visited 3,904 businesses from Monday through Thursday. These compliance checks were unannounced and focused on areas with high covid-19 transmission rates.

Officials checked in on 1,277 businesses in Pittsburgh — second only to Philadelphia, where they executed 1,365 checks — and issued two warnings — the lowest number recorded in the commonwealth, on par with Philadelphia.

Enforcement officers are making sure that restaurants and retail food service businesses are requiring customers to wear masks when traveling throughout a restaurant, ordering employees to wear masks at all times, spacing tables for social distancing, and enforcing maximum occupancy limits.

Businesses found to be in violation of covid-19 guidelines — or other requirements of the liquor code — could face administrative citations by the Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement. Continued offenses could jeopardize an establishment’s liquor license.

For more information, visit the enforcement page of the state police covid-19 portal.