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New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said that the State Liquor Authority and New York State Police Task Force continued compliance checks on state eateries.
In total, 3,375 locations were checked by compliance officers, with 66 establishments being cited for violations. Of the 66 in violation, eight were in Nassau, and four were in Suffolk County.
“The SLA and New York State Police are attempting to supplement what local police departments are supposed to be doing,” Cuomo said during a COVID-19 briefing on Monday, Aug. 17. “The local police are supposed to be enforcing these laws, and frankly, they’re not doing it to the extent they should be doing it.
Although the COVID-19 infection rate in New York has been under 1 percent for nine days straight, Cuomo reiterated that it’s important for businesses and local governments to enforce the safety mandates put in place by the state due to the pandemic.
“We hope establishments are getting the message,” Cuomo said. “I said that we were serious about it. So we're going to take enforcement actions and that’s what we’re doing and these are serious enforcement actions.
“If police aren’t going to enforce compliance, we want establishments to know that the state is going to, and is doing it.”
Cuomo added: “Our numbers reflect the hard work of New Yorkers, and as other states across the nation see surging cases, our numbers remain steadily low.
“For more than a week, we've seen our positivity rate stay below 1 percent, and to date, New York has done 7 million tests—these are remarkable accomplishments that New Yorkers should be proud of.”
On Long Island, the infection rate has held steady at between 0.8 and 0.9 percent.
“New York State is demonstrating that a response guided by science and data - not politics or opinion - is the only effective way to deal with this virus,” Cuomo said. “But, we must not become complacent and risk slipping backward — everyone must remember to wear their masks, socially distance, wash their hands regularly, and stay New York Tough."
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