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Mio Posto on West Beech Street in Long Beach had its license suspended as of Friday, Aug. 14 following an intervention by members of the New York State Liquor Authority.
Over the weekend, the state's multi-agency task force -- led by the State Police and State Liquor Authority -- conducted 3,375 compliance checks, documenting violations at 66 establishments.
According to officials, on Saturday, Aug.8, officers with the Long Beach Police Department, responded to complaints from neighbors in the area who “heard extremely loud music emanating from the premises and observed twenty patrons congregating outside.
Upon entering, officers observed approximately 200 patrons inside the restaurant, which has a maximum occupancy of 145 under COVID-19-related regulations set forth by the state.
Officials said that approximately half of the patrons were in a room with no tables, standing, drinking, ignoring social distancing guidelines, and not wearing facial coverings.
The Long Beach Police Department said that they had previously issued warnings to the premises on two separate occasions in late July.
"Five months into this pandemic, New Yorkers have bent the curve -- achieving and maintaining one of the lowest rates of infection in the country, including ten straight days with less than 1 percent of tests returning positive -- but with outbreaks across the nation, we cannot let our guard down,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said.
“These bar regulations are designed to keep New Yorkers safe, and the State Liquor Authority and State Police are stepping up to supplement local enforcement and make sure the rules are followed,” he continued.
"My message to bar owners is the same: this is about protecting the health of your employees, your patrons, and the public writ large. These are serious violations, and we are taking aggressive action because there are simply no more excuses for non-compliance."
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