When Reid’s Fine Foods e-mailed customers to say they were closing the SouthPark location for a deep clean after a staff member tested positive for Covid-19, many applauded the transparency. According to the health department, however, that level of communication is not mandatory. 

“There is no requirement for a restaurant to disclose to the public that an employee tested positive for COVID,” says a spokesperson for Mecklenburg County. Following a positive test, however, the Health Department launches an investigation, which includes contact tracing and informing those that may have been exposed to the virus.

We spoke to the owners of restaurants around town, from single concepts to multi-concept restaurant groups, but all local owners. Most are planning to be completely transparent with their customers. 

Preventing the issue from coming up in the first place is a large focus, with each person on staff getting a temperature check before they clock in for their shift, as well as requiring masks and gloves for at least those employees who interact with customers. 

All said they would plan to close the restaurant for a few days to sanitize the restaurant and notify customers if an employee was infected and not identified during the pre-shift check-ins, and in some cases, test all staff for the virus before reopening. Restaurants will look to the Health Department for guidelines on how to proceed, taking into consideration how much a staff member interacted with customers and other coworkers.

Without requiring restaurants — or any other establishments — to disclose publicly when they’ve had a case on staff, diners can only hope they do the right thing. And in the case of the local restaurateurs we’ve spoken to, they plan to. —Kristen Wile

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