Anchorage, Alaska, wins court ruling to stop indoor dining at defiant diner

As COVID-19 cases spikeand hospital bed space dwindles in Alaska's largest city,Anchorage officials on Friday won a key ruling in favour of a banon indoor restaurant dining after a standoff over the issuemoved to court.

Anchorage city officials this week sued to halt indoordining at Kriner's Diner, a popular eatery that defied anemergency ordinance issued on July 31, restricting restaurants tooutdoor service and takeout due to a surge in coronavirusinfections.

On Friday, following two days of court hearings, stateSuperior Court Judge Eric Aarseth sided with city officials andissued a temporary restraining order against the restaurant.

The city demonstrated the risks of indoor dining and showedthat "the potential harm to the Anchorage public is of suchsignificant importance that the closure of a business would bewarranted," Aarseth said in his order. "A property interestcannot outweigh a person's interest in life."

The diner, however, remained open on Friday afternoon, itstables packed with customers two hours after the judge issuedhis order. Owner Andy Kriner and at least one server were seenworking without masks or gloves.

The diner's earlier defiance of the city's directive had wonthem hundreds of supporters. Customers filled the restaurant fordays, rallied outside the eatery and distributed "We SupportKriner's Diner"bumper stickers.

"We have so much support we are absolutely blown away and wefeel your love!" the diner said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

A handful of other restaurants followed Kriner's example,and the city has sued a second diner.

The spread of COVID-19 in Alaska, which seemed to be incheck, climbed in midsummer. Anchorage, home to about 40 per centofAlaskans, now accounts for more than half of the state's4,200-plus confirmed cases.

Nearly 86 per cent of Anchorage's hospital beds were occupied as ofFriday, state data showed, and city officials say medicalservices are on the brink of being overwhelmed. Anchoragehospitals serve patients from across the state.

Tourism to Alaska remains hard hit. The first and onlyAlaska cruise ship of the season was forced to return to itsport in Juneau, the state capital, earlier this week because apassenger came down with COVID-19.