Florida Bar Shut Down After Being Packed With Maskless Patrons

A popular Florida bar was forced to shut down over the weekend after photos and videos showed hundreds of patrons gathered close together without wearing masks.

Footage from the Wharf, an outdoor bar located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was taken on Friday and Saturday. The images showed how packed the bar was with patrons not social distancing nor wearing masks. County code officials had no choice but to shut down the bar on Saturday at 11 p.m., citing the establishment for being in violation of Broward County’s coronavirus safety guidelines. The Wharf was originally going to be shut down for at least 24 hours. However, management made the decision to keep the bar closed temporarily. 

“Unfortunately, due to the statewide spike in cases and local regulations, we will be temporarily shutting down,” The Wharf said on Twitter Sunday. “We’ll reopen when we’re able to provide the proper experience for you at our beautiful outdoor venue. Stay Safe & Stay tuned!”

Mayor of nearby Sunrise, FL Mike Ryan, got a hold of a photo from the bustling bar and shared it with fellow mayors in the county. 

“With Air and Sea Show, college students back, and great weather, we MUST enforce the current restrictions on distancing and capacity. If this is not a violation of the current Broward [Emergency Order], then we have lost all capacity to prevent Broward and South Florida from becoming a hot spot and heaven help us,” Ryan wrote in an email to his colleagues. 

In another email to CBS News, Ryan further explained that in order to slow the spread of COVID-19, “we need businesses and patrons to act responsibly to protect workers, the community and the economy.” 

“In Florida, we can take advantage of dining and gathering outside, but we all must still follow recommendations on distancing and masks. Businesses that refuse or are unable to enforce the local mandates will be fined and possibly closed So, if we want to help protect our businesses and jobs, we need everyone to please follow the recommended mitigation strategies.”

Broward Mayor Steve Geller told the Sun Sentinel that while they do not enjoy shutting down businesses, establishments that do not enforce the mask mandate are “leaving us no option other than to shut them down.” 

“Our goal is not to shut down businesses. It’s to get compliance. If we have to shut down businesses that are intentionally violating our laws, maybe that will send a message. They have to obey our orders for the safety of the public.” Geller said. 

The Wharf’s shut down comes as Broward County is ramping up efforts to crack down on establishments that are not following COVID-19 safety guidelines. As of now,  2,139 warnings and citations have been issued to local businesses, the majority of those being for sanitation violations.

Since the start of the pandemic, Broward has seen 101,059 cases and 1,626 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins University Coronavirus Resource Center.