The Department of Health’s Food Safety Branch issued its first red placard to a food establishment found to be in violation of new COVID-19 guidance. DOH says it investigated the restaurant after it received a complaint about Anahkahna Inc., dba The Korner Pocket Bar and Grill, located at 81-970 Haleki‘i St., Kealakekua on Hawai‘i Island.

The complaint said the restaurant was not practicing physical distancing rules or face mask requirements. DOH sent an inspector, who observed one employee not wearing a face covering and a lack of six feet of spacing between tables.  DOH issued copies of the State’s Guidance for Reopening Food Services Sector and gave a warning letter to the owner of the company. During a follow up inspection five days later, DOH ended up issuing a red placard when it found two employees not wearing face coverings in the kitchen.

Korner Pocket was required to close on Monday, Aug. 24, but was allowed to reopen the next day after a follow up inspection.

The State Department of Health is focusing on enforcing the rules set forth by Gov. David Ige and Mayor Harry Kim regarding mask-wearing, distancing, and sanitation to try to help stem the spread of the virus.  Although O’ahu’s coronavirus spread is far more widespread, the number of new cases on the Big Island since August 1 is 164.  On August 1, the case count was 115, measured from March 1 until August 27.  Today it is 279, more than double in just one month.

All restaurants are required to adhere to the COVID-19 precautions and are subject to “red carding” if found not to be complying.

All the officers of Anahkahna, Inc., dba The Korner Pocket are listed as Christine Hall.

For more information on the department’s new restaurant placarding program go to http://health.hawaii.gov/san/