COVID-19 exposure closes bar whose owner planned protest
On Sunday, John Pavlik declared his intention to be in front of the Allegheny County Courthouse at noon Thursday to protest the county’s decision to ban alcohol sales at bars and restaurants in an effort to help contain the spread of COVID-19.
The ban went into effect 5 p.m. Tuesday, and that evening, Xtra Innings Sports Bar and Grille — a West Deer establishment owned by Mr. Pavlik — announced on Facebook that it would be closing because of a staff member testing positive for COVID-19.
That employee last worked at Xtra Innings on Friday, according to the post. Upon finding out about the employee’s diagnosis, the restaurant “immediately contacted the Allegheny County Health Department for further instruction.”
“We are taking every step possible to ensure the safety of our staff & customers,” the post continued. “All staff members will be tested and cleared negative before returning to work. We have a cleaning company coming in to clean and sanitize our whole establishment.
“Please know that the safety of our customers and staff is most important to us. As always thank you for your continued support, and we hope to see you all again soon.”
Mr. Pavlik could not be reached Wednesday for comment on this matter or if the protest he planned is still on.
As of Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Pavlik’s original post on his personal Facebook page in which he announced the time and place of the protest had more than 600 shares. He had heard from service-industry owners and workers from neighboring Western Pennsylvania counties, Ohio and West Virginia who expressed solidarity with his cause and wanted to come into Pittsburgh for the protest.
“I know I will be there,” he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Monday evening. “If I’m there by myself, I don’t care. My voice is already being heard. … Whether it falls on deaf ears or not, I did what I felt I had to do.”
He reiterated his desire to protest in another Facebook post Tuesday and named the gathering “PA Service Industry against PA & County Government.”
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald implemented the alcohol sales ban after a sustained increase of new COVID-19 cases in the county that has continued through Wednesday, when a new daily high of 110 additional positive cases was reported.
“We have seen some alarming spikes in our numbers in the last week,” Mr. Fitzgerald said during a briefing Sunday. “If we don’t get ahead of it now, we’re going to have to shut down many more businesses. It’s a very serious situation.”
Bar owners and workers bristled at Mr. Fitzgerald’s announcement, as an inability to sell alcohol directly affects their livelihoods and bottom lines. The Pennsylvania Licensed Beverage & Tavern Association summarized that industry’s frustration in a letter sent Monday to Mr. Fitzgerald.
“[B]road brush strokes targeting everyone within the industry is a death sentence in itself to many of our family-owned businesses and the jobs they create,” the letter stated. “For that reason, we ask for your support to reconsider your approach, to maintain a true balance between the risks to the health of individuals and the risks to the lifeblood of our member businesses.”