Finnie’s Next Door, a downtown South Bend bar popular with area college students. St. Joseph County health officials say they’re warning the bar that if it violates COVID-19 safety measures again it could be shut down. South Bend Tribune Photo/ROBERT FRANKLIN
SOUTH BEND — Notre Dame and St. Joseph County health officials say they aren’t happy with a downtown South Bend bar’s lack of COVID-19 safety measures discovered late Wednesday night, and the county could move to shut it down if it happens again.
County Health Officer Dr. Robert Einterz said he caught wind of a “100 Days Before Graduation” promotion that Finnie’s Next Door, a popular student bar at 233 S. Main St., was running from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m.
Wanting to signal the importance of safety at the bar, Einterz said he showed up himself, rather than sending a staff member, at about midnight. He says he found the bar was violating Gov. Eric Holcomb’s current COVID-19 executive order.
In particular, for counties in the state’s yellow designation for COVID-19 severity, such as St. Joseph, the order prohibits indoor social gatherings of more than 100 people without filing a “safety plan” with the county health department. The plan must address issues including capacity, staff and volunteer screening, social distancing measures, increased sanitation and face coverings.
Einterz said the bar had filed no plan and he estimated there were more than 300 people, most not wearing masks.
Copyright © 2024, South Bend Tribune