UPDATED July 17, 2020 – As of Friday, July 17, all five establishments have reopened after following all County Health procedures and protocols.
On Sunday, July 12, five additional (after three last week) Coronado restaurants announced temporary closures due to positive COVID-19 test results from staff. Night & Day Cafe, Chez Loma, Little Frenchie, Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q and Coronado Coffee Company have closed to sanitize their establishments and ensure healthy staff members in order to reopen for business.
Early Sunday morning Night & Day Cafe shared that one of their staff members had tested positive for COVID-19 and they would be closing immediately and contacting the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health to confirm steps to take now and procedures needed to safely reopen in the future.
Night & Day Cafe website and Facebook page
Chez Loma’s General Manager Heather Nunnelly shared that one employee at the restaurant had tested positive. They immediately shut down the restaurant and alerted staff. Nunnelly stated that “since the employee hasn’t worked since July 3rd, exposure has been limited.” Even so, they are following county protocols and taking precautions.
On Sunday evening, David Spatafore, at the helm of Blue Bridge Hospitality, announced that one staff member at Little Frenchie alerted him to testing positive for COVID-19. That person has not worked since July 5 and they believe there was no direct exposure to other staff, but they are closing Little Frenchie to clean and sanitize the facility per CDC guidelines. Spatafore pointed out that they “did not have a confirmed case at work,” the cleaning is a cautionary and preventative step. They hope to be able to resume outdoor dining on Wednesday.
Little Frenchie website and Facebook page
Another announcement came later Sunday evening when Luis Madrid, who recently took over operations for Lil’ Piggy’s Bar-B-Q and Coronado Coffee Company, shared that an employee had tested positive. Although that employee worked alone last week with minimal staff contact, as a precaution he closed both locations with plans to have his other employees get tested.
All of the restaurant spokespeople ended with the message to Stay Safe Coronado!
Related Article:
Multiple Restaurants Temporarily Close as Workers Test Positive for COVID-19
According to the San Diego Department of Environmental Health (DEH), operators should take the following measures to contact them when any employee or customer has been diagnosed with COVID-19. Here is what they emailed The Coronado Times:
To support the protection of public health and slow the transmission of COVID-19, the Department of Environmental Health (DEH) is reminding operators to take the following measures when you have been notified that an employee or customer has been diagnosed with COVID-19:
- Notify DEH by calling: (858) 505-6814
- Self-close and conduct a deep disinfection of the facility. Guidance is available in multiple languages on the Food Publication webpage.
- Determine if any staff was in close contact, within six feet for more than 15 minutes of the individual with COVID-19. If yes, then staff should self-quarantine for 14 days.
- Review the facility’s San Diego Food Facility, Restaurant, Bar, Winery, Brewery Operating Protocol with your staff and ensure that all precautions are being followed, such as wearing face coverings and employee wellness screenings/temperature checks prior to each shift.
Your attention to this important public health information is greatly appreciated. If you have questions regarding this information or your food operation, please contact DEH’s Epidemiology Liaison specialist at (858) 505-6814 or email at [email protected].
For updated information about COVID-19, including resource documents such as frequently asked questions, informational posters, and guidance, please visit www.coronavirus-sd.com.
