Newport Beach restaurants experience closures after staff members test positive for COVID-19
Countless businesses have experienced hardship due to the coronavirus, not the least of which has been the restaurant industry.
As some restrictions that were in place to manage the spread of the virus that causes COVID-19 are lifted, it is evident the change will not mark the end of related struggles.
Javier’s Cantina and the A Restaurant, two Newport Beach-based restaurants, closed their doors this week for deep cleaning and testing.
“At Javier’s, the health of our guests and employees is our top priority,” Javier’s said in an update provided on its official Instagram page. “For the safety of our customers and our staff, we voluntarily closed the Newport Beach location for deep cleaning and testing. We look forward to reopening the restaurant on July 1 and we’re excited to see everyone soon! Please stay safe and healthy!”
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a statewide mask order on Thursday, following growing concerns of a spike in coronavirus cases as Californians begin to leave home again.
Officials said that at least one staff member tested positive for the coronavirus at the upscale restaurant, prompting the eatery to announce it was closing on Tuesday.
Orange County officials began working with Javier’s on Wednesday, said county spokeswoman Molly Nichelson.
Javier’s representatives did not respond to an email request for further comment regarding the closure of the Newport Beach location.
The A Restaurant, which had been closed since March 17 and reopened on June 1, also closed for two days on Tuesday to perform deep cleaning and test employees.
Jordan Otterbein, an operating partner for A Restaurant, said on Wednesday that one employee tested positive for the coronavirus. He said the restaurant was in the process of testing every employee, and nobody would be allowed to come back to work at the establishment until they brought back a negative test result from their doctor.
Otterbein said he anticipates more restaurants will face similar situations requiring closure, cleaning and testing, especially as more people return to life in public.
“I get the pressures of having to stay open,” Otterbein said. “Believe me, I don’t want to close for two days, but I want the northern star to be an abundance of safety and that we can say, ‘We did our best.’”
Orange County Health Care Agency director Clayton Chau said in a press conference on Thursday the agency cannot confirm or deny details related to cases associated with a particular facility.
If a staff member at any business reports having the virus, county officials said that public health services will contact the facility to provide guidance.
“For any worksite, including restaurants, if a case of COVID-19 is reported in a member of staff, our Public Health Services team reaches out to the facility to provide guidance based on the particular circumstances,” Marc Meulman, chief of operations for Orange County Public Health Services, said in a prepared statement. “If there is a cluster of cases, depending on the number of cases and the size of the facility, we may either mandate that all staff be tested and/or a facility close for a period of time until it is clearly safe to reopen.”
Orange County plans to allow personal-care businesses like nail salons, massage parlors and tattoo shops to reopen beginning on Friday.
Hospitalizations due to the coronavirus climbed to their highest in the county since the start of the pandemic on Thursday. There were 345 patients receiving care at hospitals for COVID-19, with 144 of those people in an intensive care unit.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday issued a statewide order to require that masks be worn while in public or in high-risk settings. Those applicable situations included while shopping or utilizing public transportation, and while seeking medical care.
The order comes amid growing concern that a spike in coronavirus cases may be related to residents not voluntarily taking the precaution of wearing a mask in public.
Los Angeles Times staff writer Hannah Fry contributed to this report.
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