COVID-19 outbreak declared at The Shish Shawarma & Grill in south London, Ont.

An outbreak has been declared at The Shish Shawarma and Grill after six staff members tested positive for COVID-19, according to the Middlesex-London Health Unit.

The health unit says the restaurant, at 1401 Ernest Avenue in the White Oaks neighbourhood, has been closed since Wednesday, but it is possible that there may have been a “low-risk exposure” for some customers between Nov. 22 and Dec. 2.

The health unit says an initial case was confirmed on Tuesday and the decision to close was made the following day after a third case among staff.

On Thursday, the health unit received reports of positive tests involving three more employees.

Investigators are still looking into whether any of those six staff members worked while infectious but, in the meantime, customers who visited between Nov. 22 and Dec. 2 are advised to monitor themselves for any symptoms.

“We know that it raises concerns when the Health Unit declares a COVID-19 outbreak, especially when it’s related to a restaurant, but I want to be clear that the risk of contracting the virus in a situation like this is very low,” associate medical officer of health Dr. Alex Summers said in a release.

“Any interactions between restaurant employees and patrons would have been brief and staff who interacted with customers were wearing masks, which would have reduced the possibility for COVID-19 transmission.”

Summers added that the health unit will continue to investigate and will work with the the six staff members directly to “determine who their close contacts are and provide the support they need to help navigate this situation.”