Three Employees at Red Robin in Macomb County Test Positive for COVID-19 #DetroitFood

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Health officials are recommending people who visited the restaurant between Thursday, June 18 and Monday, June 22 self-monitor for symptoms

Three employees at a Clinton Township Red Robin have tested positive for COVID-19. The director Macomb County Health Department is recommending that people who were at restaurant on 15780 Hall Rd between Thursday, June 18 and Monday, June 22 self-monitor for signs and symptoms of the disease caused by novel coronavirus.

The restaurant closed for deep cleaning and disinfecting on Monday, June 22, and all employees who may have been exposed must show evidence of a negative test before returning to work. Symptoms of COVID-19 may take between two and 14 days to appear after exposure to the virus. To make an appointment for a free test at a site in Mount Clemens, call 586-463-3750. No prescriptions are required and you don’t need to be symptomatic to receive a test.

In a release, health officials urged businesses to be proactive in notifying their local health department if they learn an employee or customer has tested positive. “This information will enhance our COVID-19 investigations and allow us to inform the public of any potential exposures,” William Ridella, director of the Macomb County Health Department said. A representative for the health department confirms to Eater in an email that the Red Robin location did not immediately notify the county, “but were following necessary protocols and guidelines from the time the case was identified.”

This just one of several restaurants in Michigan that have been identified as sites of positive cases in recent days. A super spreader event tied to Harper’s Restaurant & Brew Pub in East Lansing is now associated with 138 positive COVID-19 cases across Michigan, according to the Detroit News. Those cases include mainly infections among patrons who visited the business as well as at least 19 cases in people who were exposed by someone that visited the establishment. People who went to Harper’s between Sunday, June 12 and Saturday, June 20 are being advised to self-quarantine for 14 days since their visit and arrange for a test in their area. While the majority of the cases were among younger people, the age range of cases associated with Harper’s encompasses people between the ages of 16 and 63. None have been hospitalized.

Oakland County also alerted residents this week to three positive cases among customers who visited Fifth Avenue bar in Royal Oak. On Wednesday, July 1, the Detroit Free Press reported that the bar had closed for a deep clean. The co-owner claimed they learned of the positive cases from the news rather than from the county health department.

Due to the rising number of reported cases associated with crowded bars, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered bars whose gross receipts were comprised of more than 70 percent liquor sales close for indoor service on Wednesday. The order impacts bars, nightclubs, and strip clubs, but not necessarily breweries and wineries. Bars in northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula are exempt from the order. Places that are impacted can continue to offer patio service or, thanks to a new law, takeout and delivery cocktails.

Other restaurants including Grey Ghost in Detroit, Tallulah Wine Bar and Bistro in Birmingham, and Tomukun Noodle Bar in Ann Arbor have also voluntarily closed for deep cleaning in recent days after employees or patrons tested positive for or were exposed to COVID-19.

Eater is tracking the impact of the novel coronavirus on the local food industry. Have a story to share? Reach out at detroit@eater.com.

• Oakland County Warns That Royal Oak Bar Customers May Have Been Exposed to COVID-19 [ED]
• Outbreak Connected to East Lansing Bar Balloons to 107 Cases, Spreads to Grosse Pointe Area [ED]
• Gov. Whitmer Orders Michigan Bars Closed For Indoor Service Everywhere But Up North [ED]

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