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An Auckland restaurant had to ask customers to leave for dinner on Friday after being informed that a person with Covid-19 had eaten there the day before.
On Friday, the Health Ministry announced the latest community case, a worker at the Jet Park quarantine facility, having lunch at Mezze Bar on Durham St East while infected.
Mezze Bar owner Sally Hindmarsh said officials called the restaurant around 6 p.m. Friday to tell staff that a customer had tested positive for Covid-19.
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Mezze Bar is a bar and restaurant serving Mediterranean cuisine.
The restaurant, serving Mediterranean cuisine, closed immediately for a deep cleaning.
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“We just closed the doors and told all the customers. We had reservations that we called and deferred, ”Hindmarsh said.
She was “quite shocked” and added: “It’s stressful, but it is what it is.”
The Auckland Regional Public Health Service (ARPHS) said anyone who was at the Mezze Bar between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Thursday is considered a casual contact.
Officials told Hindmarsh that the risk that staff had contracted Covid-19 was low and that they only needed to be tested if they had symptoms, such as a new cough and fever, or were concerned.
Mezze Bar is set to reopen on Saturday, and Hindmarsh said customers can be sure it’s safe to eat there.
The staff was very attentive to hygiene.
Hindmarsh has owned the business for 25 years.
He said Mezze Bar had already taken a hit after having to shut down during closings.
Having to close again on Friday was another blow.
“Every minute that we are closed is a great success for the business … Fortunately, we have loyal and regular customers. I think the public is going to back down [us]Hindmarsh said.
The person with Covid-19 dined alone at Mezze Bar and no close contacts had been identified at the restaurant.
After leaving the restaurant, the person went to Liquor.Com on Queen St for 15 minutes around 1.30pm on Thursday.
Those who visited the bottle shop between 1:00 p.m. M. And 2:00 p.m. M. That day is also casual contacts and they should watch out for symptoms, ARPHS said.
People who scanned the Covid-19 Tracer app at those locations at similar times should be notified, confirming that they were there around the same time as the case.
