Pennsylvania State Police Liquor Control Enforcement Officers visited 1,709 licensed liquor establishments from Friday through Sunday, to ensure businesses are abiding by COVID-19 mitigation requirements that include social distancing, masking, and other health and safety requirements of the liquor code.

Liquor Control Enforcement Officers issued 64 warnings for failing to follow COVID-19 requirements. Compliance checks are unannounced and can occur anywhere in the commonwealth, although the focus is on areas experiencing higher coronavirus transmission rates.

Among other requirements, all businesses and employees in the restaurant and retail food service industry authorized to conduct in-person activities are mandated to:

• Require all customers to wear masks while entering, exiting or otherwise traveling throughout the restaurant or retail food service business (face masks may be removed while seated). Further, employees are required to wear masks at all times.

• Provide at least six feet between parties at tables or physical barriers between customers where booths are arranged back to back.

• Ensure maximum occupancy limits for indoor and outdoor areas are posted and enforced.

Police visited 378 establishments in the Wilkes-Barre region and issued four warnings.

In the Allentown region, police visited 206 establishments and issued nine warnings.