Country Store, Tavern Fined For Violating COVID Emergency Orders In NH
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — A country store in Loudon and a tavern in Lincoln are the latest businesses to be penalized for violating emergency orders during the coronavirus pandemic.
The attorney general's office on Wednesday fined the Loudon Village Country Store $2,000 and the White Mountain Tavern $1,000.
According to investigators, the store owner had been warned by local authorities more than 10 times that workers must wear masks.
More recently, that requirement has been extended to include customers as well. But the store instead has refused and posted a sign explaining why:
"Please refer to the Constitution of the United States!" the sign reads. "We know how to wash our hands, clean surfaces and NOT cough or sneeze on people. If you can do that and stay six feet away like someone tooted, please come in!!"
The tavern was cited for a musical performance last weekend. Investigators said two guitarists were performing close together, customers were seated shoulder-to-shoulder at the bar and others were standing and mingling in the bar area. Photos also show the tavern owner's, David Culhane, not wearing a mask.
Culhane said Wednesday he owns up to his actions, but said the musicians were a couple who live in the same household so he didn't think them performing close together was a problem. Likewise, customers seen mingling were part of the same groups, he said.
"Nobody who didn't come together was ever closer than six feet from each other," said Culhane, who plans to appeal the fine.
"If you go into any restaurant, you can find something where someone is violating the guidelines. A lot of them are really unclear, and they keep changing constantly," he said. "It's really hard on top of managing a business to keep up with everything."
The country store owner did not respond to a request for comment.
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