Unfair? Some bar, restaurant owners frustrated with new Allegheny Co. task force citations

PITTSBURGH — Less than one week after Allegheny County launched its COVID-19 Field Response Team, some business owners are feeling frustrated.

The task force noted roughly a dozen businesses that did not follow face mask or social distancing guidelines.

The Fudge Farm in the South Side appears to be abiding by county health regulations with signs reminding people to social distance and glass barriers. But the business has an “unsatisfactory” mark because members of the task force said tables were not far enough apart.

It’s just one of dozens of restaurants inspected by the county’s COVID-19 response team created to ensure establishments were following safety precautions.

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“People aren’t going to read the report. They’re going to see ‘Oh Fudge Farm.’ They’re not going to open it and say, ‘Oh, the six times, they were in compliance with all five, but their tables were bolted.’ They’re just going to think it’s unsafe,” owner Molly Rainey said.

Rainey said because their tables don’t move, they were cited.

Channel 11 reached out to the Allegheny County Health Department today for a statement. A spokesperson said in part: “this is a process to help educate and inform food establishments of the requirements under the current health orders. What we heard from food businesses is they wanted a process that would show the public which ones were following the rules and doing things correctly.”

Inspectors were going to restaurants based on complaints that were made to the department, the spokesperson also said.

SEE THE FULL LIST OF RESTAURANTS/BARS AND REPORTS HERE

Allegheny County creating coronavirus response team to ensure restaurants, bars follow current regulations Allegheny County creating coronavirus response team to ensure restaurants, bars follow current regulations

Cox Media Group