It seems like every weekend that passes, another video pops up showing the late-night revelers packed into Charlotte’s restaurants and bars. Meanwhile, health officials continue to warn that young people represent an increasing number of coronavirus cases.
And yet there is a collective shrug when the question arises: what needs to be done to enforce rules like wearing masks and social distancing and nonessential business closings, all measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus? And how do some companies circumvent the rules?
Two months ago, Governor Roy Cooper gave the go-ahead to reopen with limited capacity for restaurants, breweries, wineries, and bars serving food. But that somehow opened the floodgates for similar businesses. For the past month, bars, gyms and clubs have also been reopening, though they are supposed to remain closed until the end of phase two, which runs until at least August 7.
The Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department has not cited any business for violating the statewide mask mandate or for any Phase 2 violation, according to the department.
“CMPD will continue to work towards the voluntary compliance of every member of the community through education and conversations, only using the app as a last step,” CMPD public affairs officer Blake Page said in an email.
“This has been the CMPD’s approach to consistent enforcement of orders, and will continue to be until orders are terminated.”
Cocktails in Idlewild / Agenda file photo.
Mecklenburg County’s latest push to control the local pandemic comes in the form of an alcohol ban after 10 pm at area restaurants. But the measure leaves some doubts: does this restriction have any teeth?
In other words, who is going to enforce it?
The county’s alcohol ban, which local cities have yet to sign, aims to address the spread of the coronavirus among young people late at night. Orange County (NC) and South Carolina have similar restrictions.
[Related Agenda story: County officials will implement a late-night alcohol sales ban. Here’s how it could work]
District 5 County Commissioner Susan Harden is among the skeptics of this and other efforts to control the pandemic. In a Facebook post this week, Harden tore up flaws in the coronavirus response from local officials.
North Carolina reopened too soon, Harden said, and has been too slow with both its marketing campaign and its mask mandate. In addition to that, there is no mechanism for applying the restrictions to companies, she said.
“We know that there are gyms in operation. We know that there are restaurants that act as bars. We know that people are gathering beyond limits. There is no compliance, ”Harden told the Agenda.
She continued, adding that companies break the rules all the time because they know they can.
“If you’re not worried about being pulled over on the interstate and you’re late for a meeting, you’re going 90 miles an hour. You simply are. It is human behavior.
There should be a local enforcement method for coronavirus restrictions before officials put them in place, Harden said. For example, the health department, which the county is in charge of, oversees responsibilities such as restaurant inspections.
County officials have asked their attorney if they can require the health department to monitor companies for coronavirus-related violations. The attorney said no, Harden said.
“This whole step of app money is not working,” said Harden. “It is like a hot potato.”
Oversight of the alcohol ban could partially fall to enforcement of the state alcohol law. That’s the group that Sycamore Brewing visited on their reindeer beer cans last winter. ALE ended up fining Sycamore with $ 1,000.
“If a local municipality decides to further restrict the Governor’s Executive Orders, ALE will assist and support local law enforcement as well as the ABC Commission, but will not criminally or administratively cite specific county or city orders,” he said. Erin, ALE Special Agent. Bean said in an email. ALE has not charged any company in Orange County with violating the order, he added.
Ink N Ivy.
Recent videos and images circulating on social media show establishments like Ink N Ivy, Explict, and Peculiar Rabbit that house large, packed groups.
In an email Tuesday, Explict owners said they continue to learn and improve the safety of the coronavirus. The bistro and lounge serve food, so it is allowed to open according to state guidelines.
But like other bars in the area, Explict has allowed unmasked patrons to stand up and dance together over the weekend parties.
Events like Day Dream | Dubbed the # 1 Rooftop Brunch and Day of the Year Party, Rooftop Brunch & Day Party have been advertising on Quirky Rabbit. The restaurant / bar closed to the public in January, but remains open for private parties. Another, Mansion Thursday Nights has been canceled, according to Peculiar Rabbit owner Rob Nixon.
Nixon said Quirky Rabbit isn’t currently open, and had previously only been open on weekends.
“People will be sadly disappointed … if they come to Peculiar Rabbit because the doors will be closed all weekend and I suppose for the foreseeable future,” said Nixon.
On June 12, during protests over police brutality following the death of George Floyd, WFAE reporter David Boraks snapped a photo of a line of clients that formed in front of Brickyard in the South End. The gorilla, wearing a Brickyard t-shirt, appears to be taking the young man’s temperature at the front of the line.
The Brickyard in South End on June 12 (courtesy of David Boraks / WFAE)
Responding to a question about how Brickyard can stay open since it’s not a restaurant, Brickyard owner Anthony Cardone denied that the bar has been open.
“Brickyard is not open, has not been open recently, and does not plan to open until approved by the governor.” Cardone said. He did not respond to additional requests for comment.
The recent buildup in bars in Charlotte comes as state and local leaders continue to emphasize how the virus spreads among younger populations, increasing key metrics and putting vulnerable populations at risk.
In Mecklenburg County and across the state, coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to increase. As of Thursday, 1,134 Covid-19 patients were hospitalized in North Carolina. During the past week in Mecklenburg County, 175 people were in the hospital because of Covid-19, and that number has been steadily increasing.
Considering that bars and restaurants close for such a long period of time, limiting their profitability, it is not difficult to understand why companies would at least try to function normally if they could.
But, says Harden, the responsibility for cracking down on state or county mandates, such as wearing masks and social distancing, should not be in business.
When companies try to act as a direct application to customers, you can shut them down. Or worse. In a recent study of McDonald’s employees, 44 percent of respondents said customers had verbally or physically assaulted them after the employee confronted those who were not wearing masks, Business Insider wrote this week.
“I think it is deeply unfair to put that in business right now,” said Harden.
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