Coronavirus News: NJ bar cited for overcrowding, patrons without masks

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

NJ bar cited for overcrowding, patrons without masks

Toni Yates has more on a popular bar in New Jersey that was busted twice over the weekend for massive crowds not following social distancing guidelines or wearing masks.

JERSEY CITY, New Jersey (WABC) -- A popular bar in New Jersey was busted twice over the weekend for massive crowds not following social distancing guidelines or wearing masks.

Jersey City Chief Prosecutor Jake Hudnut posted on Twitter about the incidents, saying The Factory Restaurant and Lounge has "regularly violated COVID restrictions throughout the pandemic."

He said Jersey City police visited the establishment on two separate occasions and issued summonses both times for hundreds of people inside without masks.

A popular bar in New Jersey was busted twice over the weekend for massive crowds

"We'll see them in court," he wrote. "We've had issues there before: noise, fire exits blocked, etc. Some businesses think they have connections that put them above the law. Nope. The mandate to the (Quality of Life) Taskforce has always been: enforce evenly & objectively. Residents' public health & safety come first."

Governor Phil Murphy, who on Monday announced the state was going to delay the resumption of indoor dining, which was set to begin Thursday, weighed in during his daily briefing.

He thanked owners who are abiding by the rules, but he said it only takes one bar, one customer to spark a flare up and create hotspots for the coronavirus to spread.

"As a bar-goer, you have responsibility. Ignorance is not bliss. PERIOD," he wrote on Twitter. "Don't congregate with your friends at the bar. Keep a social distance from other patrons.

Wear a face covering when you're not eating or drinking. LEAVE if you feel uncomfortable.

According to Hudnut, the citations carry the possibility of fines up to $2,000, community service, and even possible jail time.