Fish Co. Says Closure by State Flies in Face of Coronavirus Policy
GoLocalProv News Team
Fish Co. Says Closure by State Flies in Face of Coronavirus Policy
The enforcement action by DBR filed on October 9 against Fish Co. was purportedly an immediate order, which should require immediate temporary closure, but was not issued for nearly a week after the state's inspection.
According to state documents, state enforcement officials were at Fish Co. after 11 PM on Saturday, October 3, but it took nearly a week for the state to issue an order filed on October 9, in which the alleged violations from nearly a week prior were so egregious that an an "immediate" temporary shutdown was subsequently required.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST"We just want to make sure this doesn't happen to other small businesses. There needs to be some structure," said Fish Co. owner Frank Manfredi, who said the establishment has been inspected "nearly 40 times" since the coronavirus pandemic.
Manfredi said that is has been "impossible" to get ahold of any state official to reinspect the premises for the alleged violations -- a number of which he refutes -- that has put 30 people out of work in the interim.
Now, the company's owners are considering seeking court intervention to force the state to reinspect the facility,
Inspection -- and Delay in Closure
According to state reports, on October 3, at 11:15 PM, Rhode Island task force inspectors conducted a spot check at Fish Co. and reported that workers were improperly wearing masks, that physical distancing was not maintained between patrons, and the bar was open past 11 PM — in violation of Governor Gina Raimondo’s orders.
Manfredi said surveillance video timestamped for the time of the inspectors' visit in his estimation refutes many of the claims — and questions why the “immediate compliance order” for closure didn’t come until nearly a week later.
Moreover, Manfredi takes issue with the fact that the state refuses to answer Fish Co’s calls for a reinspection, after forcing its closure for what he said would have been a "big" Columbus Day weekend.
"There's been zero communication from the state," said co-owner Garry Williams, after being served with a restraining order on October 9 - six days following what he said was a "ninety-second' visit from the state.
Williams said one of his issues, in particular, was that he said Fish Co. had worked to enforced coronavirus regulations strongly.
"I had my bicep torn [following an altercation] with a customer who refused to wear a mask," said Williams.
Regarding the regulations, Williams said Fish Co. had been "working hard" to enforce them.
"I saw this week on GoLocal that B.Good on Thayer Street had been inspected, not once, but twice, and they failed inspections both times, but were allowed to stay open," said Willams. "So what, exactly, constitutes an 'immediate compliance order' -- and how can one be issued a week later?"