RABHYA MEHROTRA PHOTO
Turcio, at far right, with inspection team on Ferry Street.
Jim Turcio walked into CTown Wednesday not to shop for food, but to look for violators of pandemic public-safety rules.
It didn’t take him long to find what he was loking for.
Turcio, Health Director Maritza Bond, and a team of sanitarians and inspectors headed to Fair Haven and Long Wharf a day after the city’s announcement that it will begin handing out $100 fines to businesses if employees aren’t wearing face masks and $500 to establishments and private gatherings exceeding the governor’s limits on occupancy. Click here for a story about the new fine policy and the details about the public-health rules.
The city’s giving out warnings first, then levying the fines if violators are found to repeat their mistakes.
On Wednesday’s rounds, the team issued five warnings. No fines.
“This is a hotspot,” Turcio said upon the team’s arrival in Fair Haven. “I’m not surprised to see infractions.”
As soon as Turcio arrived in the back room of the CTown Supermarket at Ferry and Grand, “we saw three people with no masks whatsoever,” he reported. “That’s unacceptable, especially in a food establishment.”
He also noted that the worker at the entrance was not counting the number of customers let in. CTown Supermarket has a strict capacity of 250 people.
The task force subsequently hit other nearby businesses.
At Dunkin’ Donuts, a group of elderly men were congregating in the entrance without masks or distancing.
“Please put your masks on,” an inspector told them. The customers obliged, and quickly left the restaurant.
After going into the restaurant, the inspector reported “no other problems.”
At a liquor store on Ferry Street, a man walked in without a mask right after the inspectors. He was quickly turned away.
“I normally wear my mask at home, but I forgot it today,” the man (pictured above), who declined to give his name, told the Independent. “I tried to cover my mouth with my jacket, but they didn’t let me in.”
“We’ll be giving out masks to stores, so they can offer them to customers walking in,” Turcio said.
Other businesses were not so eager to have inspectors come by.
Later, the same man without a mask was found leaving Redenti’s Package Store on Grand Avenue. The inspectors came in, but only two were allowed at a time.
A man with a yellow jacket and skull-teeth mask stormed out. “What the fuck do they think they’re doing!?” he exclaimed. He began to take his phone out and record the inspectors and reporters. When asked for comment, he replied, “Don’t come near me or talk to me.”
Most places, however, were abiding by the rules. USA 1 Pizza and Wah Chun Chinese food, for example, had established plastic walls between staff and customers. “They’ve renovated their whole counter space,” said one inspector approvingly.
“We’ve been doing this since May,” Turcio said of Covid-health and building code inspections. “And we’ll keep on doing this.” Thursday’s assignment: Beaver Hills.