85 coronavirus cases have been linked to one Michigan bar, and patrons who recently visited are being asked to self-quarantine
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Dozens of people have tested positive for COVID-19 after visiting a restaurant in East Lansing, Michigan, health officials said.
At least 80 people who visited Harper's Restaurant & Brew Pub caught the virus after visiting, and five additional people caught "secondary infections" from those patrons, the Lansing State Journal reported.
Health officials are asking anyone who visited the restaurant between June 12 and June 20 to self-quarantine for two weeks.
The restaurant said in a statement on Facebook that it has closed temporarily and will eliminate lineups and install an air purifying system before reopening.
A Michigan restaurant has been recently linked to dozens of coronavirus cases, and public health officials are asking anyone who visited between June 12 and June 20 to self-quarantine for two weeks.
On June 24, the Ingham County Health Department announced that 34 people who had recently visited Harper's Restaurant & Brew Pub in East Lansing were positive for COVID-19. Three days later, that figure shot up to 85, the Lansing State Journal reported Saturday.
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Eighty of those who tested positive for the coronavirus visited the restaurant, and five were deemed "secondary infections," meaning they hadn't visited themselves but caught the virus from someone who did, according to the Lansing State Journal.
The restaurant's owners said in a statement on Facebook that they had re-opened for business at 50% capacity on June 8, as per Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's executive order. But long lineups immediately began forming on the public sidewalk outside the restaurant, and some customers refused to follow certain social-distancing recommendations, the statement said.
"We have attempted to instruct customers waiting in line to wear face coverings and practice social distancing through signage on the public sidewalk and with a banner on our railing," the statement said. "Our oversight of the line on our stairs has been successful, but trying to get customers to follow our recommendations on the public sidewalk has been challenging."
The statement said the restaurant has closed temporarily, and plans to both eliminate lineups and modify its HVAC system to "install an air purifying technology."
The statement noted that the new closure would likely harm restaurant employees, who had just returned from a three-month layoff.
"They have rent, mortgages, car payments, grocery bills, and everyday living expenses to address," the statement said. "But we believe for the safety of all, it is the right thing to do."
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