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Bars Refuse To Close: More Businesses Ignore Lockdown As COVID Cases Rise
KEY POINTS
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A bar owner in Minnesota said remaining open in defiance of lockdown orders is about staying in business. It s just one of many trying to stay afloat as the economic destruction from the pandemic rages on.
Lisa Monet Zarza, the co-owner of the Alibi Drinkery in the suburbs of Minneapolis-Saint Paul, told The Washington Post on Friday she was staying open in defiance of state restrictions on indoor dining. She was sued earlier this week by the state attorney general for breaking the rules.
Lakeville bar defies COVID-19 order for 2nd day despite state s actions article
Alibi Drinker in Lakeville defied the governor s order for a second day by remaining open for on-site dining.
(FOX 9)
LAKEVILLE, Minn. (FOX 9) - The State of Minnesota is taking two restaurants to court for defying closure orders.
Thursday, Attorney General Keith Ellison filed lawsuits against a bar in Princeton and another in Lakeville. Each faces penalties up to $25,000. The bar in Princeton voluntarily closed, but the Alibi Drinkery in Lakeville remained open, prompting Ellison s office to file for a temporary restraining order against the bar.
AG Ellison sues 2 Minnesota bars for illegally reopening Wednesday
“We are not asking for special treatment,” she said. “We are asking for fair treatment.”
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Walz last month issued an executive order closing bars and restaurants in the state to reduce the spread of COVID-19. On Wednesday, following a recent drop in new cases, Walz said Minnesota restaurants could partially reopen, although they could not have any form of indoor dining.
Zarza was among a coalition of owners of approximately 160 businesses this week urging each other to reopen early before the executive order was set to expire Friday.
Zarza told the Star Tribune at the time that the restaurant closures were “hurting the fabric of the community.