HARRISBURG, DAUPHIN COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — Newly released data from the Department of Agriculture shows enforcement actions taken during the last week of December, including the closure of 36 restaurants across the state for violations of COVID-19 mitigation orders.
A limited-time mitigation order signed by Governor Wolf in December prohibited indoor dining until 8:00 a.m. on January 4. According to the Bureau of Food Safety, dozens of restaurants across the commonwealth defied the order and remained open.
Between December 28, 2020 and January 3, 2021, the bureau performed 373 inspections, 96 of which were driven by COVID-19 specific complaints. In addition, officials say they received 244 food facility COVID-19 related complains and referred 101 of those to local and county health jurisdictions.
Following the inspections, officials with the Bureau of Food Safety issued 36 closed by order notices to restaurants allegedly operating despite the order.
On December 23, the Department of Health petitioned the Commonwealth Court for injunctions against 22 restaurants which continued to operate with dine-in services despite receiving a notice to close. An injunction would prevent the restaurant from permitting indoor dining and award the state monetary compensation for willful violation of the order.
| COUNTY | TOTAL INSPECTIONS | COMPLAINT-DRIVEN INSPECTIONS | COVID-19 RELATED WARNINGS ISSUED | COVID-19 RELATED CLOSED BY ORDER NOTICES |
| ADAMS | 4 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| ARMSTRONG | 3 | 2 (2 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| BEAVER | 14 | 2 (2 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| BEDFORD | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| BERKS | 7 | 7 (7 COVID) | 0 | 2 |
| BLAIR | 4 | 4 (4 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| BRADFORD | 0 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| BUTLER | 8 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| CAMBRIA | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CAMERON | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CARBON | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CENTRE | 2 | 2 (2 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| CLARION | 1 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| CLEARFIELD | 8 | 2 (2 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| CLINTON | 1 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| COLUMBIA | 8 | 2 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| CRAWFORD | 5 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| CUMBERLAND | 13 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 2 |
| DAUPHIN | 4 | 5 (4 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| DELAWARE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELK | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FAYETTE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FOREST | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FRANKLIN | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FULTON | 1 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| GREENE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| HUNTINGDON | 3 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| INDIANA | 2 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| JEFFERSON | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JUNIATA | 3 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| LACKAWANNA | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANCASTER | 11 | 8 (8 COVID) | 0 | 6 |
| LAWRENCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LEBANON | 0 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| LEHIGH | 6 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| LUZERNE | 9 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| LYCOMING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MCKEAN | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MERCER | 2 | 2 (2 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| MIFFLIN | 0 | 2 (2 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| MONROE | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MONTOUR | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| NORTHAMPTON | 12 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| NORTHUMBERLAND | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PERRY | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| PIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POTTER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SCHUYLKILL | 5 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 3 |
| SNYDER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SOMERSET | 4 | 2 (2 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| SULLIVAN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSQUEHANNA | 6 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| TIOGA | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNION | 1 | 3 (3 COVID) | 0 | 0 |
| VENANGO | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WARREN | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WASHINGTON | 16 | 6 (6 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| WAYNE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WESTMORELAND | 24 | 10 (10 COVID) | 0 | 2 |
| WYOMING | 1 | 1 (1 COVID) | 0 | 1 |
| YORK | 14 | 7 (7 COVID) | 0 | 6 |
| TOTAL | 274 | 99 (96 COVID) | 0 | 36 |
