Some Sarasota-Manatee restaurants close temporarily amid COVID-19 - Sarasota Herald-Tribune

samasamp.blogspot.com

Restaurants have announced closures either due to employees and patrons testing positive for coronavirus, or as a precaution.

This content is being provided for free as a public service to our readers during the coronavirus outbreak. Sign up for our daily or breaking newsletters to stay informed. If local news is important to you, consider becoming a digital subscriber to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
***

As new COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Florida and Sarasota-Manatee, more local restaurants have chosen to close their doors for the time being.

Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe announced Monday on its Facebook page that it would immediately close until further notice because a staff member had tested positive for COVID-19.

“Once all of our employees have been tested and our building has been disinfected, we will make a plan to reopen knowing we can serve our customers 100% safely,” the statement read. “We feel this is the right decision to protect our staff and the public.”

#apolloLink{color:#000;background-color:#F4BE11;text-shadow: none;padding: 8px 15px 10px;font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;font-weight: 600;border-radius:10px;}

See our complete coverage of the coronavirus outbreak

DaRuMa Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge’s Fruitville Road location also has closed temporarily because an employee tested positive for COVID-19, said general manager Ron Butine, with staff to be tested before they can return to work. The restaurant’s other Sarasota location at The Landings currently remains open.

Japanese-Thai fusion restaurant Pacific Rim, located in Sarasota’s Southside Village neighborhood, announced on social media that it would close temporarily because of “an infectious person” recently visiting the establishment. The restaurant’s voicemail message Monday afternoon confirmed the closure.

Multiple downtown Sarasota restaurants and bars have chosen to close in recent days because of COVID-19 concerns. Mexican restaurant El Melvin Cocina Mexicana closed Sunday so staff can be tested and the restaurant deep-cleaned, with plans to reopen Friday pending testing results, said co-owner Mitch Good.

Good said the restaurant currently does not have a confirmed COVID-19 case, but he wanted to be proactive.

“We don’t want to be the ones that set off 10, 20, 30 cases from our restaurant,” Good said. “We just want to take the precautionary measures, make sure we’re doing the right things.”

Selva Grill recently announced it would close for two weeks while assessing the current outbreak, with plans to reopen on July 2. Evie’s Tavern & Grill on Main Street also announced plans to close until further notice. Attempts to reach owners by phone Monday were not immediately successful, though both restaurants’ voicemails stated they were temporarily closed.

Raffurty’s Bar and Grill in downtown Sarasota announced its closure Friday after "someone was in our establishment” who tested positive for COVID-19. Reached by phone Monday, a Raffurty’s manager declined to comment on whether the exposure came from staff or patrons, but said they would reopen once employees tested negative, with plans to implement temperature checks and outdoor-only seating.

Cafe L’Europe on St. Armands Circle also announced last week that it would temporarily close because an employee had tested positive for COVID-19.

As previously reported, while the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County reports other issues including food service workers testing positive for hepatitis A, it will not provide names of restaurants where COVID-19-positive employees have been identified.

“An individual’s opportunity to be exposed to COVID-19 at this time is elevated everywhere in the community,” said G. Steve Huard, public information officer for the Florida Department of Health in Sarasota County, in an email explaining the policy to the Herald-Tribune in mid-May.

“Identifying specific restaurants that have had a COVID-19 positive staff does not eliminate risk of exposure, nor does it necessarily identify their exposure if they become infected. With an incubation period that can be as long as 14 days, it becomes very difficult to identify the exact source of exposure.”

Huard added, “This is why it is essential for individuals to continue to social distance, practice good hand hygiene, stay home when they are sick and wear a mask when appropriate.”

#apolloLink{color:#000;background-color:#F4BE11;text-shadow: none;padding: 8px 15px 10px;font-family: 'Roboto', sans-serif;font-weight: 600;border-radius:10px;}