Toronto strip club patron tests positive for coronavirus days after worker: public health

Toronto Public Health (TPH) officials say a patron who attended the Brass Rail Tavern has tested positive for coronavirus.

The confirmation comes days after a worker at the downtown strip club, located on Yonge Street south of Bloor Street East, tested positive for the virus, prompting officials to issue a warning to approximately 550 people who visited the establishment earlier in August.

“TPH has attempted to contact all individuals listed on the contact tracing logs and followed up with staff and close contacts of the case,” Dr. Vinita Dubey, Toronto’s associate medical officer of health, said in a statement issued Tuesday evening.

“To date, one person who was contacted by TPH from the establishment’s contact tracing log who had attended the establishment, had symptoms and has tested positive for COVID-19.”

She said the patron lives outside Toronto and staff are working with that person’s local public health unit to conduct contact tracing and to see if there were other possible sources of infection.

“As this case is still under investigation and to protect the person’s privacy and personal health information, we are not able to share their place of residence at this time,” Dubey wrote.

Anyone who visited the Brass Rail Tavern between Aug. 4 and 8 were asked to monitor for symptoms for 14 days after their last visit and if symptoms develop to go for a coronavirus test and self-isolate.

Dubey said an inspection on Aug. 13 found the establishment was not operating in compliance with provincial COVID-19-related orders and the City of Toronto’s licensing rules, previously citing a lack of physical distancing and an incomplete contact tracing log.

She said an inspection the following day found business staff implemented public health measures and got into compliance.