The mayor of Washington, D.C., shot back at a local restaurant ownership group that said it would refuse compliance with health restrictions meant to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.
Mayor Muriel Bowser announced new limitations on restaurants on Sunday as the number of confirmed COVID-19 virus cases in the city reached 16. One group, The Hill Restaurant Group, which owns seven restaurants in the nation’s capital, said they planned to defy the order, prompting a rebuke from Bowser on Monday.
“We all have an obligation to do our part to contain the spread of this global pandemic and get to the business of recovery as soon as possible. Until then, your compliance is required, and we will exercise the full force of our MPD, FEMS, DC Health and ABRA…and the emergency authority to achieve it,” she tweeted.
[Click here for complete coronavirus coverage]
We all have an obligation to do our part to contain the spread of this global pandemic and get to the business of recovery as soon as possible.
Until then, your compliance is required, and we will exercise the full force of our MPD, FEMS, DC Health and ABRA…
— Muriel Bowser (@MurielBowser) March 16, 2020
Bowser also said their patrons should “encourage you to modify your operations at the soonest, to consider grab & go and delivery options in your food serving establishments.”
The warning and subsequent recommendation came after the group said they “will not bow down to pressure from the Mayor’s Office or any group for that matter who covertly is attempting to shut us down. We fully support our employees and our patrons. It is not our burden to bear nor is it our staff’s burden to bear,” according to NBC 4 Washington.
Bowser’s order announced on Sunday suspends all bar seating, limits the number of people allowed in a group, and mandates that restaurants provide at least six feet of space between groups.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released guidance on Sunday, which said gatherings of over 50 people could contribute to the spread of the coronavirus and recommended they be canceled.
As of Monday morning, there were more than 3,770 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the United States and 69 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker.
