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Customers who visited the Roots Steakhouse bar at the Summit earlier this month are expected to be tested for coronavirus after several employees tested positive, Summit officials said.
In a Facebook post on Friday, the city advised anyone who visited the bar between November 3 and November 12 to take a COVID-19 test. Officials said those who have dined in another part of the restaurant or outside should see a doctor.
The restaurant, located on Springfield Avenue, voluntarily closed Thursday and will remain closed for at least 14 days, the city said.
“Harvest Restaurant Group has confirmed that several employees at the Summit Roots site have tested positive for COVID-19. The restaurant fully cooperated with the health department’s investigation and voluntarily closed on November 12 and will remain closed for at least two weeks. The Westfield Regional Health Department will remain in close contact with the restaurant, ”the town said in the post.
There have been five positive COVID-19 test results for employees working at Roots reported to the Westfield Regional Health Department, but contact tracing is ongoing, Department Director Megan Avallone told NJ Advance Media .
Contact tracing indicated that several employees who tested positive spent time together both in and outside the work environment, Avallone said.
The popular Summit Restaurant is one of four owned by the Harvest Restaurant Group that has been temporarily closed due to coronavirus cases, according to a Facebook post by restaurant group owner Chip Grabowski. Others include Huntley Tavern in Summit, Addams Tavern in Westfield, and Tabor Road Tavern in Morris Plains.
The first positive result of the coronavirus test at Roots was received on November 8, according to a post on the restaurant’s social media. Grabowski said the restaurant has taken action “in accordance with government mandates and with our employees and communities in mind.”
“With more than 1,200 employees in total, our responsibility is to provide them with a paid and safe workplace that we believe is essential. We have also hoped throughout this difficult and uncertain time to give our neighbors a sense of normalcy, ”Harvest Restaurant Group owner Chip Grabowski wrote in an article Thursday.
In a Facebook post, Westfield officials said an Addams Tavern worker tested positive, but was not working at the restaurant during the virus’ infectious period and has not returned to work since.
“As you may have read, Addams Tavern has voluntarily closed temporarily, out of caution, after an employee recently tested positive. Based on the health department’s initial investigation, it appears at this point that the employee was not working at the restaurant during the infectious period of the virus and has not returned to work since testing positive. The health department continues to monitor the situation, ”the message read.
Grabowski did not immediately return to a request for comment from NJ Advance Media.
Coronavirus cases have increased in recent weeks as a second wave continued to hit New Jersey, with more than 4,500 cases reported on Sunday. The daily numbers of cases on Saturday and Sunday were higher than those seen in April, at the height of the pandemic.
Last week, Gov. Phil Murphy announced new restrictions to stop the spread of the virus, forcing restaurants and bars to stop eating indoors at 10 p.m. He also signed an executive order allowing cities to shut down non-essential activities before 8 p.m.
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Avalon Zoppo can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @AvalonZoppo.
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