A popular pub in Pitt Meadows has been temporarily closed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A staff member at the Jolly Coachman has tested positive for the virus, prompting owners to close the business for disinfecting and for the entire staff to be tested for the Coronavirus.
The staff member was tested early last week, and the proprietors of the pub found out on Friday he had tested positive. The pub was closed all weekend, was fumigated with hospital grade sanitizer on Saturday, and owners said it would be deep cleaned.
“We’re cautiously optimistic we can re-open on Wednesday,” said co-owner Mike Jahnke. “We’re trying to take all the precautions we can. It’s important all staff get tested.”
The last day the employee worked was Monday, Oct. 12. He worked in the kitchen. According to the World Health Organization, there is no evidence people can catch COVID-19 from food.
Yvan Charette, co-owner of the pub, said as of Tuesday morning none of the tested staff members had a positive test. He noted the staff members wear masks and use hand sanitizer frequently.
He said the pub was not ordered closed, but owners felt “that was the responsible thing to do,” as they dealt with their first exposure to the virus.
“We reacted within minutes to it,” he said, as they contacted staff, and notified the public online and in social media.
Charette served on a pub owners committee that presented a reopening plan to the province, and said the Jolly Coachman ownership is going “above and beyond” to ensure the safety of staff and patrons.
“We closed another bar (the Caddyshack strip club) permanently, because we felt the possibility of transmission was greater there,” he pointed out.
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Charette noted that the employee who tested positive has not suffered serious health implications to this point.
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