Covid Code Crew Hits Grand Avenue

Grand Avenue was trying its best.

Plastic barriers were up. In most cases, people had masks on. Some required signs were prominent and bilingual. Others were missing, but could be easily replaced.

A team of city health, building, and fire inspectors was on the case to make sure.

The team — a task force from the city’s building, health, and fire marshal departments — hit the Fair Haven commercial corridor Thursday night for the latest of its regular unannounced rounds to make sure businesses are complying with restrictions aimed at stemming the spread of Covid-19.

The group comprised Brian Wnek, a senior health inspector with the city; Jose Romero, a building inspector; and Fernando Ramirez and Frank Filardo, both fire inspectors. The team made its way from business to business along Grand Avenue. Their goal was not to penalize or shut down any establishment. Instead, they wove in and out of establishments to check for safety measures and educate business owners about statewide Covid regulations.

By evening’s end, the inspectors found every business making an earnest effort to protect employees and customers from Covid. ​“We haven’t run into one person yet who’s not put something in,” said Filardo.

Most violations are ​“very minor things,” he added. ​“It’s all education, 99 percent.”

Since coronavirus protective measures took effect in New Haven, inspectors have been making unannounced visits on Thursday and Saturday nights to food establishments and other businesses to ensure they’re following both Covid-19-related and general health, fire, and building code rules.

In most cases, they find only minor violations and simply alert the business owners of the need to fix them. In cases of dramatic violations that threaten public health and safety, they have closed down four retail establishments as well as two food trucks.

Overall the visits have led to the filing and redress of 66 complaints since April 13, according to mayoral spokesperson Gage Frank. In only four cases have the inspectors found violations they considered so egregious and dangerous to public health that they shut the businesses down. (Click here to read about two of those shut-down businesses, outlets of Good Nature Market.) They’ve also closed down two food carts.

On Thursday evening, the inspectors visited 18 establishments in three hours. They found small violations requiring reminders and nudging, but no need for any closings.

Wnek carried a clipboard with a checklist as well as informational papers to hand to business owners. He found himself frequently asking businesses to self-certify with the state of Connecticut that they are following regulations and to keep a log of employee shifts in order to assist with contact tracing.

At Mexican Grand Deli (pictured) at 313 Grand, the inspectors noted that proper signage was missing. As required, a clear plastic barrier separated employees at the register from browsing customers. Ramirez and Romero communicated in Spanish with the owner’s son, translating for the other inspectors.

Wnek gave the employees a log sheet and asked them to note who appeared on each shift, for contact tracing purposes. ​“Fill that out on a daily basis,” he directed.

As the fire inspectors looked around, they discovered an improper heater that was located too close to merchandise, without a proper cover. ​“That needs to be removed,” Ramirez said.

They also found a cookpot that was meant for outdoor use only. Upon hearing this, the owner’s son brought the pot outside immediately.

Ramirez and Filardo said they weren’t immediately worried about the heater, since it wouldn’t be in use during the summer months. They said they would come back later to check on the situation.

At Rodeo Records and Grocery at 335 Grand, the fire inspectors noticed a variety of paper products and decorations hanging from throughout the ceiling, which collectively posed a fire hazard.

“We’re looking at the fire protections, smoke detectors. We’re seeing all of these hanging things,” said Filardo (pictured).

Meanwhile, Grand Fish Market at 353 Grand Ave. excelled at following regulations.

“Beautiful,” Ramirez said upon walking in.

“Beautiful,” Filardo echoed.

Store Manager Federico Zamora (pictured) answered Wnek’s questions and accepted an employee log sheet.

“This is a good sign,” Wnek (pictured) said, pointing to a posting that asked customers to stand six feet apart.

Tape on the floor guiding customers to distance from one another was also well-spaced, he said.

The inspectors don’t usually work across departments with one another, although they’ll sometimes alert other departments if they notice something outside of their purview that seems off.

Each has a different style of inspecting. They agreed that it has been valuable to learn from one another on this joint task force.

“We each have our pet peeves,” said Wnek. His include absent missing ​“no smoking” signs and mops lying on the floor.

Wnek took business cards for each store and restaurant he visited. Several business owners said they recognized him from previous inspection rounds.

When an owner or employee nervously asked about a violation, he answered with an upbeat, ​“No problem!” and asked them to fulfill the requirements as soon as possible.

“Brian’s a good guy. He’s good at talking to people,” Filardo later said of Wnek.

Restaurant owners tend to be more anxious about health inspections compared to fire inspections, Wnek and Ramirez noted — which Wnek finds puzzling.

“I see fire as more of an issue,” he said. ​“You can fix bad food. You can’t fix your store exploding.”

On the door to La Tapatia bakery at 309 Grand, an artistically handwritten sign instructed customers to enter only if they were wearing masks.

“Is that acceptable, Brian?” asked Filardo. ​“Handwritten?”

“Yeah, I can deal with it,” Wnek said.

A sugary aroma filled the bakery. Upon entering, the inspectors joked about the temptation of the sweet-smelling desserts.

“Oh dear god,” Romero (pictured above in the kitchen area) laughed.

A plastic barrier protected employees and social distancing signs were posted throughout the bakery.

Wnek explained to an employee that the store needed to self-certify with the state of Connecticut and log employees every day.

Joy Kitchen, at 251 Grand Ave., had instituted a plastic barrier between employees and customers, too. But the employees weren’t wearing masks. Wnek went through his sheet of regulations, explaining the need for signs and social distancing floor markers.

Cars rolled by as Romero, Ramirez, and Filardo waited for Wnek to finish up.

“Is this a health inspection?” one driver called from across the street.

Just a routine check-up to make sure businesses are following Covid regulations, the inspectors answered.

Another driver echoed the question. ​“I just want to know because I live here!” he said.

The inspectors half-joked that they had better go before they accidentally put Joy Kitchen out of business. They moved on.

The job of inspecting sometimes weighs heavily, because ​“it’s tough times” for businesses, Ramirez said. Some fixes are easy and inexpensive, but others — like installing plexiglass barriers or removing a hazardous heater — can be costly.

Ramirez and Wnek both acknowledged the difficulty of adapting to rapidly-changing state requirements. Restaurants have particularly complicated adjustments to make for Covid, especially if they choose to open indoor dining areas.

“I’m like, ​‘OK — which of my places is gonna put up the plastic barriers?’” Wnek said.

“We don’t make the regulations,” he added. ​“We learn them together.”

In general, Grand Avenue businesses were doing well on Thursday night, though. The inspectors agreed that it had been a good night. There had been no need for drastic measures, only a bit of explanation.

Some, like Peluca Barber Shop, had even gone further to protect employees and customers from Covid than regulations mandated.

Peluca set up large plastic sheets draped over clothing racks to separate each haircutting station, garnering praise from the inspectors.

“We appreciate it,” Wnek said.

Wilkin Dilone was cutting Manny Ortiz’s hair near the front. He wore a face shield above his mask — following a regulation specifically for people cutting hair that the fire inspectors themselves had not been aware of.

“I just have my mask off because he’s doing my face,” Ortiz said, holding up the mask he had worn to the store as proof.

Wnek checked the barber shop’s bathroom and back office for sanitizing practices. ​“You wash all your utensils in the back?”

He asked the owner to walk through the tool sanitizing process, seeking to ensure that the shop was cleaning brushes and disposing of hair properly.

“Just needs some signage” Wnek concluded, ​“and we’ll be good.”