A local restaurant closed Wednesday after one of its employees was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, but reopened Thursday after the facility was “sanitized.”
Amazing Joe’s, 2607 Central Ave., closed on Wednesday after the Bartholomew County Health Department confirmed that a female employee there has been diagnosed with Hepatitis A, said Nick Grams, restaurant manager.
Neither state health officials nor the local health department provided any information about the employee or issued any announcement to customers who may have eaten at the restaurant about the employee being diagnosed or what impact the diagnosis might have on customers’ health.
Dr. Brian Niedbalski, Bartholomew County Health Officer, said the state health department is planning to release a statement on Friday. When the Republic contacted Niedbalski Thursday night, he said the health department will be announcing a Hepatitis A clinic at the FairOaks Mall on Monday for customers who might have eaten at the restaurant on selected dates in April.
“The odds of contracting Hepatitis A (from the employee) are fairly low, he said.
In a typed statement from Grams, the restaurant said the health and safety of the restaurant’s team members and guests is a top priority.
“When we learned that one of our team members in Columbus, Indiana was diagnosed with Hepatitis A, we immediately began our collaboration with the Bartholomew County Health Department,” the statement reads. Grams confirmed this occurred on Wednesday.
“The individual affected has not worked at the restaurant since the diagnosis and we wish her a speedy recovery and return,” the statement reads. “We effectively took all necessary measures requested by the health department and proactively took extra precautionary steps by temporarily closing the restaurant and utilizing that time to clean and sanitize all areas of the restaurant,” the statement reads.
For more on this story, see Friday’s Republic.
