A brewery in Inverness, N.S., says it’s closing until further notice after a customer visited the restaurant on Sunday while failing to self-isolate after travelling to the province.
The Nova Scotia government still requires anyone travelling from outside of the four Atlantic provinces to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival as a precautionary measure against the spread of the novel coronavirus.
Stefan Gagliardi, chief beer officer at the Route 19 Brewing Tap and Grill, told Global News on Wednesday that the brewery will remain closed as a precautionary measure.
“We found out (someone failed to self-isolate) through one of our employees who overheard a conversation elsewhere later on Sunday, and they brought it up to us,” he said over the phone.
RCMP investigated and confirmed to Global News that they have charged a 38-year-old woman from British Columbia under the province’s Health Protection Act, which carries a $1,000 fine.
Gagliardi said that the Nova Scotia Health Authority has told staff and visitors to Route 19 on Sunday to monitor for symptoms and to go to the 811 website for further direction if symptoms develop.
The brewery was told it didn’t need to close as it was not a confirmed case of coronavirus, but it still left workers feeling uncertain.
“It doesn’t feel good. It’s not a good feeling because our staff didn’t feel safe,” he said.
“As a business and, you know, our staff together, we decided we weren’t willing to take that risk.”
The facility was thoroughly sanitized on Monday morning but the restaurant will remain closed until further notice.
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The closure will affect about 30 people including, kitchen and cleaning crews, bartenders, waiters and waitresses, Gagliardi said.
He says that people should follow the health recommendations set out by the province.
“It just affects us in a way that feels a little bit unfair because everybody is trying to do their best,” he said.