Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka and Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose report that Halloween-related parties at several locations were cited by the Newark Fire Division and Code Enforcement for violations following the recent launch of COVID-19 Task Force.
“It’s a shame that after seven months, people and owners of these establishments are not taking this pandemic seriously,” Director Ambrose said. “The value is placed upon wealth vs. health. Most of the locations cited were in violation of not wearing masks and not exercising social distancing, however, fire and code violations superseded the citations.”
The following establishments were closed and cited for violating the Executive Order:
La Rouge Lounge: 972 Broad Street: Found operating above capacity; not practicing social distancing; patrons failed to utilize PPEs; utilization of Hookahs in violation of fire code. The citation was issued for COVID violation via Code Enforcement and Fire Inspector issued citation for violations.
King Soccer: 6 Elizabeth Ave: Closed and cited for operating without a certificate of occupancy. No other violations were found.
Zepe's Cafe Bar: 240 Elm Street: Closed and cited due to several violations. Upon entry, there was a crowd of patrons observed not social distancing. On October 30, 2020, Zepe was warned of the violation. As per Alcohol and Beverage Control, this establishment is closed until Monday.
ViVo Lounge: 167 Ferry Street: Closed and cited for having patrons eating inside after 8 p.m.
Lit 21: 1034 McCarter Hwy: Closed and cited for operating after 8 p.m., no PPE, serving alcohol from the bar, and overcapacity.
On Friday, the Task Force confiscated 10,000 bottles of illegally sold liquor and made two arrests of event organizers at a warehouse.
The COVID-19 Task Force, comprised of members of the Newark Department of Public Safety, Alcohol and Beverage Control and Code Enforcement, is continuing to conduct inspections of businesses for violations of the Mayor’s Executive Order as the COVID-19 numbers are rising in Newark, particularly in the East Ward.