The Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals (DIA) has received 962 complaints about restaurants violating social distancing and other COVID-19 mitigation requirements, Iowa Capital Dispatch reported on Thursday. DIA has issued one warning as a result.
An Aug. 14 warning emailed to Jason Jasnos, owner of Classic Deli & Ice Cream Shoppe in Brooklyn, Iowa, said that if he didn’t take measures to ensure social distancing among people eating at the deli it “may result in a seven-day suspension of the food license, or the revocation of your food license.”
A DIA inspection determined the tables at the deli were not at least six feet apart as required by the governor’s emergency health proclamation. Told by the inspector he need to change his set-up, Jasnos said he wasn’t “going to play ball.”
Jasnos told the Dispatch’s Clark Kaufmann that the response came from a place of frustration and fatigue. Since then, he has made the necessary changes.
“I’ve complied,” Jasnos said. “I just don’t want to get shut down.”
DIA handles food licenses and inspects establishments in 63 counties. It contracts with local health departments to conduct inspections in the state’s other 36 counties. It is empowered to issue warnings when it finds code violations, and can suspend or revoke the licenses of noncompliant establishments.
The Iowa Alcoholic Beverage Division (ABD) is in charge of liquor licenses. Since the governor first issued an order regarding bars and other businesses that serve alcohol on March 17, ABD has received 375 complaints regarding possible violations of COVID-19 restrictions. Like DIA, it has only taken one enforcement action so far.
In March, it suspended the liquor license of Kelly O’Shea’s Shamrock Pub and Grille in Burlington for three weeks for continuing to serve alcohol after all bars in the state were ordered closed on March 17.
ABD currently has 12 open cases regarding possible violations of COVID-19 restrictions.
During her news conference on Wednesday, Reynolds said that ABD would be stepping up enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions.
On Friday, the Iowa Department of Public Health reported 1,259 more Iowans had been confirmed as having COVID-19 in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. The newly reported cases include 46 residents of Johnson County and 54 residents of Linn County.
During the same period, IDPH reported another 10 deaths from the virus. Three residents of Linn County were among the deceased. These deaths bring Iowa’s COVID-19 death toll to 1,258.
