Kitchener restaurant closes after 175 people potentially exposed to COVID-19

A Kitchener restaurant has temporarily closed after approximately 175 people were exposed to COVID-19 last week.

On Monday, Region of Waterloo Public Health said they are notifying people who visited Algarve Restaurant, located at 248 Stirling Avenue South in Kitchener, between October 28 and November 4.

So far, there are six confirmed cases that have been associated with this setting.

“As a precaution, Public Health is advising anyone who attended during these times to monitor themselves for symptoms for 14 days after their last visit and to seek testing,” the statement says.

Public Health is also recommending that individuals who may have been exposed to COVID-19 or who have symptoms visit the Ontario Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 self-assessment tool for recommendations.

“Public Health continues to work with Algarve Restaurant to ensure all measures are in place. Algarve Restaurant has been co-operative with Public Health and has voluntarily closed the restaurant at this time,” the statement adds.

Because 175 could have been exposed, there is evidence that a series of settings are connected to where the virus originally spread in the restaurant. Therefore, Public Health has identified and contacted high-risk contacts in these other settings.