Recent closures due to COVID-19 cases do not reflect the restaurant industry as a whole
MARBL was one of three restaurants ordered by Toronto Public Health to close Friday. Photo credit: MARBL.
đź•’ 12 min read
On Friday September 25, Toronto’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, issued orders to three Toronto restaurants/bars located on King between Bay and Bathurst to close under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act: newcomer Casa Mezcal (291 King St. W.) in the Entertainment District, King Taps (100 King St. W.) in the Financial District, and MARBL (455 King St. W.) in the Fashion District.
A news release issued Saturday September 26 stated, “TPH found a concerning link involving these locations where many people are connected to more than one of the businesses noted. In some cases, for example, people infected with COVID-19 were employed at more than one of these locations. One business has served food buffet style, which is prohibited under existing provincial regulations to limit the spread of COVID-19. Another business has been uncooperative with investigators, significantly impeding investigation efforts. Staff have also been found to be working while ill or pressured to work while ill.”
The same day, a COVID-19 Notification for Yonge Street Warehouse (336 Yonge St.) at Yonge and Dundas, was also issued. According to the City’s public notice, tests confirmed that “seven people linked to this establishment are positive for COVID-19. Five are employees and two are patrons. TPH has followed up with all known close contacts. The close contacts have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days and to go for testing. If you were at the Yonge Street Warehouse between September 10 to 17 but have not been contacted by TPH, you are not identified as a close contact. You are viewed as low risk.”
The organization responsible for the health and well-being of Toronto’s 2.9 million residents estimates roughly 1,700 people came through the venue during this period. Thus, as a precaution, anyone who was at the Yonge Street Warehouse between September 10 and September 17 should “monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days after their visit. If symptoms develop, please contact TPH, seek testing and immediately self-isolate. Please wear a mask when going for testing.”
On Sunday September 27, a COVID-19 Notification for King and Bathurst’s Regulars Bar (668 King. St. W.) stated “a potential exposure for COVID-19” for people who visited September 13 to September 22.
“In the last few days, tests have confirmed that three individuals linked to this establishment are positive for COVID-19,” a release states. “All three individuals are employees of the establishment. TPH has followed up with all known close contacts. The close contacts have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days and to go for testing. If you were at Regulars Bar between September 13 and September 22 but have not been contacted by TPH, you are not identified as a close contact and are viewed as low risk.”
TPH estimates “approximately 600 people may have been at the venue during this time,” and asks that if you visited during that time, to follow protocols listed above.
Transparency is KEY
Even at a time when transparency is more important than ever, not just in the restaurant industry, but the world at large, some businesses aren’t keen on disclosing why they’ve had to shut their doors temporarily - or even that they’re closed at all.
While King Taps posted a notice about the closure on their Instagram feed, and Regulars, who the city’s public health unit noted “worked cooperatively with TPH throughout this investigation,” shared the news on their social media, Casa Mezcal has not yet acknowledged the closure on their website or social channels , and MARBL’s only response to the closure at press time is a notice on social that did not address the reason directly. An outline of their safety guidelines and procedures can be found on their website.
After hearing rumours that an employee tested positive at MARBL yet there was no indication online, I reached out to the establishment on September 17. Nearly 12 hours later, I received verification, which states in part, “We can confirm that on Tuesday September 8, an employee at MARBL was confirmed to have a positive case of COVID-19. The employee last worked on Sunday September 6. The individual has not returned to MARBL since Sunday, September 6th and has been self-isolating.” The message included protocols they implemented following the discovery, but not whether they had closed at all. I reported the news in that week’s Open/Closed column. There is still no recognition of the case on their site or social media at press time.
Yonge Street Warehouse also has yet to publicly acknowledge the closure. The latest post on Instagram reads,“We might be closing early for now but we're still serving you 12 hours of Warehouse realness. 11am-11pm. Come out. Stay safe. Have fun!”
This week, other restaurateurs and owners in the city took it upon themselves to lock up for the safety of both staff and public when they discovered someone tested positive for the virus – a distinct difference from being shut down by the city’s health department. Nicki Laborie, owner of Corktown’s Reyna on King (354 King St. E.) and Reyna Bazaar next door, was transparent about the reason for temporary closures this week, as was drag bar Crews and Tangos (508 Church St.), with not one, but two notifications. Two weeks ago, Calii Love shared news their King West location shut down for a short time when an employee tested positive for COVID-19, and has since reopened.
The big picture
As restrictions relaxed this summer/early fall and patio and indoor dining kicked off, kids returned to school, leaving some parents able to get back to work, it was a given the number of cases would rise.
In response, on Friday the Ontario government ordered bars and restaurants to close early and social gathering limits restricted. Today, TPH made additional recommendations due to the recent surge in cases, and identified that “COVID-19 case clusters and outbreaks have occurred among staff and patrons in a diverse range of workplaces.” They also support “additional actions to prevent COVID-19 activity and outbreaks in food and drink establishments,” including:
- Reducing the total number of patrons permitted to be inside a food and drink establishment at any one time from 100 to 75
- Requiring establishments to maintain a customer log for each patron, not just one person from the party
- Reducing the maximum number of people able to sit at each table, both inside and outside, from 10 to six
- Requiring that background music and any other background sounds, such as from televisions or other electronic sound producing devices, must be no louder than the volume of normal conversation.
While the deluge of headlines regarding these recent restaurant closures this week may give the impression that it’s occurring everywhere, it’s crucial to note that the majority of nearly 10,000 establishments across Toronto and the GTA including bars, restaurants, cafes, and other food and drink establishments, are following all safety protocols and procedures, and the closures above are not indicative of what’s happening across the industry.
A post by co-owner Andrew Kaiser of whisky jazz bar, retail snack and bottle shop The Emmet Ray (924 College St.) on Friday supports this fact: “I want to remind people, that we are healthy, we have created and encourage a healthy environment, we take the necessary precautions to prevent the spread of Covid-19 and follow the guidelines to ensure our customers, musicians and staff are healthy. Some people out there want to blame an entire industry, it makes it easier for them but I just want to say not all of us are to blame most of us are looking at the present and doing what's right because we want a future. We also need your support and want you to trust your instincts and go to the places that are safe and not given to fear because it is the easier sell.”
Mayor John Tory’s statement in Friday’s news release also assures it is not industry-wide: “Thankfully the vast majority of residents and businesses in our city are doing the right thing and following public health advice. We need that cooperation to continue so we can defeat this virus.”
A survey by Restaurants Canada published Friday reveals:
- 87 per cent of Canadians said restaurants are doing a good job keeping their customers safe.
- 86 per cent said they don’t want province-wide shutdowns of indoor dining when COVID-19 cases increase in their communities.
- 92 per cent of respondents said restaurants are an important part of their community.
Protect yourself and others
To avoid another lockdown - which many businesses won’t survive - and help keep yourself and others safe, please:
1. Wear a mask covering your nose and mouth outside your home, especially in indoor settings and when physical distancing is difficult, and at any business unless seated for drinks or dining.
2. Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet between you and others.
3. Wash and sanitize your hands frequently.
4. If you’re not comfortable dining indoors, patio season has been extended thanks to the allowance of patio heaters and many places putting a BYOB – bring your-own-blanket - policy into effect.
5. Order takeout and delivery from local establishments.
6. Shop these same places for liquor, grocery and pantry items. A majority of restaurants, bars, cafes, and breweries have items to take home in addition to their menu offerings.
7. Support local restaurants, bars, cafes, bistros, bakeries, breweries, food and drink shops as much and often as you can.
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