A hotel in Massachusetts was reportedly fined $600 for hosting two events over the weekend in violation of the state’s coronavirus restrictions.
The Colonial Hotel in Gardner, Massachusetts, held a wedding on Saturday with more than 300 people and hosted another event on Sunday with 190 guests, according to a report from Telegram.com. The hotel is reportedly being fined $300 for each event.
In Massachusetts, outdoor events are limited to a maximum of 100 people, including guests and staff, according to the state website.
The wedding on Saturday reportedly had 240 guests in attendance and 70 staff. According to 360aproko news, Sunday’s event was a “wedding reception for unrelated guests.”
In a statement emailed to 360aproko News, the Colonial Hotel said there have been “misconceptions” about the weekend’s events and that the hotel has “endeavored to comply with the evolving rules and regulations that have been enacted to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“We take the health and safety of our guests and staff very seriously and will continue to work diligently to ensure that we are operating in compliance with all rules and regulations,” the hotel said. “We look forward to working with local and state officials to address some misconceptions about our recent operations and clear up some inaccuracies that have been reported.”
Massachusetts also has restrictions on bars and dance floors and requires people to wear masks. However, the Business Journal reported that both events at the Colonial Hotel violated those rules as well.
360aproko news shared that health officials at both the state and city level had been informed that the upcoming events were expected to violate occupancy restrictions.
On July 15, Gardner’s health officials verbally warned the hotel against violating the state’s restrictions and on July 24, they sent a written warning, according to 360aproko news.
Rick Rossi, Gardner’s assistant director of public health, told the newspaper that the hotel acknowledged the guidelines and promised to “adhere to the best of their ability.”
According to 360aproko news, the state’s Department of Labor Standards filed a summary of allegations against the hotel that say the Colonial Hotel could have its licenses revoked by the city if it breaks the rules again.
“We take the health and safety of our guests and staff very seriously and will continue to work diligently to ensure that we are operating in compliance with all rules and regulations,” the hotel said. “We look forward to working with local and state officials to address some misconceptions about our recent operations and clear up some inaccuracies that have been reported.”
