What blows my mind is that the police have more important matters to deal with than someone not wearing a mask, yet they actually respond to calls of non-compliance.
Here are all of the COVID-19 emergency declaration citations issued so far
Here are all of the COVID-19 emergency declaration citations issued so far
By
Mark Dunphy
1:01 pm CDT, Tuesday, July 7, 2020
The city of San Antonio has issued more than 2,500 warnings and 67 citations for violating the stay-at-home order, according to an enforcement report. Among the violators were the Planet K smoke shops in San Antonio.
The city of San Antonio has issued more than 2,800 warnings and 80 citations for violating the emergency declarations, according to an enforcement report.
Officials had received over 7,800 calls reporting violations as of Tuesday.
The social distancing orders, intending to slow the spread of COVID-19, first went into place on March 18. The most recent, a third addendum to the eighth emergency health declaration, went into effect on June 26.
Several of the early citations were issued to locations of the Planet K smoke shop chain.
The chain's owner, Michael Kleinman,
refused to shut downuntil the city revoked its certificate of occupancy for a Planet K on Austin Highway, authorizing the disconnection of all electric, gas and water service there “due to risk to life.”
After May 5, seven weeks passed without officials issuing a citation, but enforcement picked up once more in late June as COVID-19 cases spiked.
Multiple city departments — Code Enforcement, Parking Enforcement, Metro Health and the San Antonio Police Department — are enforcing the order.
Here are the citations issued so far:
July 4
- Police received a call reporting The Drink bar at 200 Navarro St. was open for business. An officer had warned the owner that he was violating the emergency declaration orders but the owner refused to close.
The SAPD Vice Unit found 10 to 15 people drinking inside the bar. A citation was issued to the owner.
July 2
- Police received a call that Web House Café and Bar at 320 Blanco Road was allowing customers to drink inside. The manager said the establishment was making most receipts from food, not alcohol, so they could be open. He said they had applied to TABC for an exemption and had not heard back.
Officers advised that the bar must shut down the dining room but could do take out and delivery of alcohol with food orders. A stop work order was posted and a citation was issued.
July 1
- At Wetmore Family Dentist, officers found customers and staff not wearing masks and no signs posted. A citation was issued to the dentist's office, located at 13499 Wetmore Road.
June 30
- Officials checking for proper signs at a Northside gym called The Pit, located at 8506 Speedway, found that the signs had not changed. They posted a placard to file a case and issued a citation.
June 27
- Police were called for a Brown Coffee Company employee allegedly not wearing a mask. Officers saw the server without a mask and a municipal court case will be filed. The coffee shop is located at 812 S. Alamo St. in Southtown.
- Police were called to 809 Riverwalk for a river barge company allegedly not requiring passengers to wear masks. Based on an officer observing employees and customers not wearing masks, an official warning was given and a municipal court case will be filed.
- Police were called to 2711 Treble Creek for people at Gold's Gym allegedly not wearing masks. An officer explained the mask ordinance to a manager as they observed some members not wearing their mask in the gym. A municipal court case will be filed.
- Police were called to 4319 S. New Braunfels for employees at Sonic allegedly not wearing masks while serving food. An officer watched a server approach vehicles and deliver orders with no mask on. The manager was told to have servers put on masks within 6 feet of customers. A municipal court case will be filed.
- Police were called to 6059 La Cima for employees at La Michoacana allegedly not wearing masks. An officer saw one cashier with a mask around her neck and another worker with no mask. A patron also had no mask. Everyone complied when the officer enforced the mask rule.
The manager said he had several incidents of patrons cussing him out over a facemask. The officer suggested he contact SAPD to escort belligerent non-compliant customers off the premises. A municipal court case will be filed.
- Police were called to 1560 Bandera for an employee at Walgreens allegedly testing positive for COVID-19 and not sanitizing store. Officers observed all employees wearing masks but not wearing them properly. Social distancing practices were in place. A municipal court case will be filed.
- Police were called to 1003 Culebra for Quintanilla's Restaurant allegedly operating over capacity and staff not wearing masks. An officer found that the location was maintaining capacity just under 75 percent.
Several employees were not wearing masks. The manager said masks are provided to them but they take them off as soon as he steps out. A municipal court case will be filed.
- Police were called to 2838 N. Loop 1604 E. for people at El Chaparral allegedly not wearing masks. An officer saw two employees in the kitchen not wearing masks. A municipal court case will be filed.
- Police were called to 5138 Blanco for employees at Los Angeles allegedly not wearing masks. An officer saw all employees wearing masks.
The restaurant's mask rules said they were "preferred." The officer told the manager it should say "required" and the manager said she would have the signed changed by the end of the day. A municipal court case will be filed.
May 5
- Police found the Cantina Sports Bar, located at 6565 Babcock Road on the Northwest Side, open for business. Approximately 50 people were inside the crowded bar, none of whom were social distancing or wearing a mask — including the owner.
The bar was selling alcohol and police did not observe anyone eating food. The owner told police he could no longer afford to remain closed. He would rather fight a citation in court than close the bar. A citation was issued to the owner.
- Police received a call reporting that Porta Rosa Bar at 1221 Broadway St. was hosting an opening night party. The caller said a large number of people were inside the bar and on the patio, failing to social distance or wear masks. Officers found the location open for business.
Advised to close the bar, the manager said he would comply. Police received two more calls and an officer responded for the second time in an hour. The bar was still operating with a large number of people inside. A citation was issued.
May 2
- Police officers, responding to a call for a shooting, found a large group of people conducting an illegal 8-liner gambling operation at a South Side home. They found that no one was shot or injured at the residence, located on the 700 block of Grosvenor St.
The officers cited 34 individuals for violating the emergency declaration.
