West Deer bar owner organizing protest over covid-19 drink sales ban
The owner of a West Deer bar is planning a Thursday protest in Downtown Pittsburgh about Allegheny County’s decision to prohibit alcohol sales inside bars and restaurants.
“We will protest the shutdown of bars,” John Pavlik of West Deer wrote on his personal Facebook page.
The protest is set for noon in front of the Allegheny County Courthouse.
“I will have signs made that will say: SERVICE INDUSTRY AGAINST PA & ALLEGHENY CO.,” Pavlik wrote on Facebook.
As of Tuesday morning, Pavlik’s Facebook post was shared by 510 people.
Please share this for all who will suppourt this. We will protest the shut down of bars. We will meet Thursday July 2 at...
Posted by John Pavlik on Sunday, June 28, 2020
Pavlik owns Xtra Innings Sports Bar and Grille on Saxonburg Boulevard. He said Tuesday morning that he did not have time for further comment.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Health Department Director Debra Bogen ordered bars and restaurants to halt on-premise alcohol sales starting at 5 p.m. Tuesday to curb a surge in covid-19 cases.
On Tuesday, the county reported 109 new covid-19 cases, continuing a recent spike in daily cases that largely has involved young people. The median age of the new cases is 26. The rise has been attributed in part to people traveling to out-of-state hotspots and congregating in area bars, where drinking spurs people to let down their guard and become lax about protecting themselves from the virus, Bogen has said.
Bar owners like Pavlik have decried the measure because it will hurt their bottom line. Those who have establishments close to a bordering county without restrictions also question the logic behind the ban.
“Tell me why people sitting at a table eating dinner can’t have an alcoholic drink, but they can sit there and eat dinner? Does that mean if we were all drinking and we wanted to protest, we wouldn’t be able to because we were drinking — but if we were sober and we wanted to jam into a enclosed space and protest, we can?” Mark Phillippi, owner of Phillippi’s Family Dining and Pizzeria in Harrison, told the Trib on Monday.
Once the county order goes into effect, complaints about violations can be made using an online form, emailing COVIDcomplaints@alleghenycounty.us or calling 412-350-4636.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health also is accepting covid-19-related complaints online.
Tom Davidson is a TribLive news editor. He has been a journalist in Western Pennsylvania for more than 25 years. He can be reached at tdavidson@triblive.com.
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