Restaurants are closing again after workers test positive for coronavirus

From Phoenix to Myrtle Beach, Houston to Orlando, restaurants — most of which were only recently given the go-ahead to welcome diners back in their doors — are closing again, according to an article in The Washington Post. This time, it’s not because owners fear that someone in their midst might catch the coronavirus — it’s because they know that they already have.

The closures, typically announced on social media, come at the discretion of restaurant owners. Many states and localities do not require restaurants where employees have tested positive to shutter. What steps owners take when faced with a sick employee — whether it’s deep cleaning the entire space, informing customers or testing other staffers — are largely up to them.

Coronavirus cases continue to climb in many areas, even where restaurants are opening for business, and that means owners already reeling from months of lost business and pivoting from takeout-only to socially distanced service are facing fresh logistical crises. Meanwhile, many restaurant workers are fearful of exposure — and many customers are confused.