Fromtoday’sChicagoTribune:RestaurantsfacerevolvinginfectionrisksGuidesexist,butwhathappensafterpositivetestdiffers

AtAlinea,wheremanagerRizqiSoeharsonoworks,twostafferstestedpositiveforCOVID-19withinweeksofeachother,forcingshutdownseachtime.(NamY.Huh/AP)BYGRACEWONGOnJune1,TheAlineaGroupannouncedonTwitterthatanemployeetestedpositiveforCOVID-19.Eventhoughthatemployeehadnotworkedineightdays,everyotherpersonwhoworkedthesamedaywastested,andtherestaurantclosedforcleaning.Afewweekslater,anotheremployeetestedpositive,andtherestaurantrepeatedthesamesteps.Earlylastweek,Longman&Eagle,atakeonatraditionaldrinkinginninLoganSquare,announcedonInstagramthatitwouldbeclosingbecauseitalsohadanemployeewhotestedpositiveforCOVID-19.Itsentirestaffisquarantiningandbeingtested,andthespaceisbeingcleaned,thepostsaid.

Althoughthecitygaverestaurantsthegreenlighttoopenindoordiningupto25%capacityaspartofphasefourofthepandemicplan,whichstartedlastFriday,somerestaurantoperatorsarewonderingifit’sworthittodosowithCOVID-19infectionrisksstillpresent.“Ifeverytimesomeonetestspositivetherestaurantmustdoafiredrilloftesting,shutdown,deepclean,re-open,thenthatbecomesverytroublingandplanningisuncertain,”saidNickKokonas,co-ownerofTheAlineaGroup,inanemail.“Justnotverysustainablelong-term.Ifthereweredaily,fasttestingat$2pertestwithinstantresults,we’dsimplytesteveryoneeveryday.Easy.”Butsuchatestdoesn’texist.Therestaurantgroup,whichincludesNext,Aviary,RoisterandAlinea,spentabout$8,000onreimbursingaffectedemployeesforgettingtested,anddespitethegoodnewsofallnegativeresults,thecostoftestingalltheemployeesexceededtheprofitsofbeingopen.Andthenthere’sthequestionofcontacttracing.Someaffectedrestaurants,likeLongman&Eagle,havereliedonsocialmediatoalertgueststhatanemployeewasaffected.Kokonassaidhewasnotassignedacontacttracerfromthecityorstate,butnoguestswouldhavebeenaffectedbecausetherestaurantgroupwasnotopenfordininginatthetime.Otherrestaurantsaretakingcontacttracingintotheirownhands.SunWahBBQ,theNorthSideHongKongrestaurantfamousforitsPekingduck,isrequiringallgueststosignahealthdeclarationthatprovidestherestaurantwithpersonalinformationsoownerscancontacttraceifneeded.Tweet,thepopularUptownbrunchspot,isfiguringoutaplantohaveatleastonepersonfromeachpartyprovideaphonenumber.Restaurantssaytheyremainfrustrated,confusedandisolated,especiallywhenitcomestocontacttracing.Butthecitypointstotheguidelinesthatithassharedwithallbusinessowners,includingrestaurants.AccordingtotheChicagoDepartmentofPublicHealth,whenapositiveCOVID-19casethatisfoundinabusinessisreportedtoCDPH,acaseinvestigatorcallsthepatienttodiscusstheillnessandidentifyclosecontacts.Then,acontacttracingteamcallstheidentifiedcontactstotalkaboutexposureandmakereferrals.Iftherearetwoormorecasesatabusinesswithin14days,thentheemployerisrequiredtoreportittoCDPH,whichwillworkwiththebusinesstoassessriskandmakeadditionalrecommendations.CDPHissuedadocumentJune16withguidelinesforbusinessesshouldtheyhavesomeonetestpositive.Morethan200peoplefromCDPHandpartneringorganizationsareworkingoncontacttracing,includingmorethan150CDPHandcityemployees.Morethan90%

ofcaseinvestigationsareinitiatedwithin25hoursofassignment,accordingtoastatementfromCDPH.Thedepartmenthopestohaveabout800contacttracersbymid-Septemberbyconnectingwithcommunity-basedorganizationsandhealthcarepartners.Tomitigaterisk,manyrestaurantsarestickingtotakeoutanddeliveryfornow.Luella’sSouthernKitcheninLincolnSquaresaidinanInstagrampostthatitcannotprovidethesafestenvironmentforitsteamandguestswithoutdata.“Wearepreparingtoreopenandworkingonthelogisticsofdoingsobutwanttobeencouragedthatthereopeningissafeandthebusinessesthathavedecidedtoreopenhaven’tgottenanynewcasesoratleasttheamountthatunfortunatelydoarelow,”thepostsays.Kokonassaidhehadmixedfeelingsaboutthecitymovingintophasefour,andthatsuccesswouldbedependentonthepublic’swillingnesstotakeprecautionsandotherbusinesses’abilitytoadheretostrictguidelines.AtTheAlineaGroup,thecity,stateandfederalguidelinesareconsideredabaselinetoaddonto,nottheidealgoal.TheownerofanotherrestaurantthathadanemployeewithCOVID-19saidthestorehasreceivednoguidancefromthecitybutfollowsprotocolsrecommendedbytheCentersforDiseaseControlandPreventioninadditiontotheonesbylocalgovernment.Hewishedtokeephisnameandhisrestaurant’snameanonymousoutoffearforhisbusiness,sayingthathedidnotwanttoaddtotheanxietythatcustomersorhisemployeesmayfeelaboutthesituation.Evenfollowingthemoststringenthealthandsafetyprotocolscanonlydosomuch,hesaid.“It’sworthlessifsomeone,employeeorcustomer,comesinthestorewithcovidandnosymptoms;that’sthebigunknowndanger,”hewroteinaFacebookmessage.Healsosaidhedidnotreceiveanycallsfromthecity,norwasheassignedacontacttracerorgiveninformationonhowtocontacttracehimself.WonKim,ownerofBridgeport’sKorean-PolishrestaurantKimski,isn’topeningforon-premisediningfornow.Hisdecisionisbasedonhisownexperience:InApril,hetestedpositiveforCOVID-19,thusbeginningaharrowingeightweeksofhighfeversandpneumoniathatlefthimunabletostand.Hehassincerecovered,butsaidhewishestheexperienceonnoone.Mostofhisdutiesfelltohissouschefduringthattime,buthesaidtherearejustsomeresponsibilities,likecreatingrecipesandensuringquality,thatstillfallonhisshoulders,ontopofworkingwith,reassuringandmonitoringthecomfortofastaffalreadyanxiousabouttheirsurvivalduringapandemic.Althoughtherestaurant’sparkinglotisbeingconvertedtoapatio,Kimsaidhe’slayinglowfornowandinnorushtoopenfordiningin,eitheroutdoorsorindoors.

“Ijustwanttobeextra,extrasafe,”Kimsaid.“It’stheonlyfairthingtodoforyourco-workers.”Restaurantsareheldtoextremelyrigoroushealthcodes,soifanemployeeweretogetsick,Kimbelievesitwouldbebecauseaguestwasnotexercisingthesamelevelofcaution.Hebelievesthatthecitywenttophasefourtooquickly.“It’sscaryandit’sterrifying,andwedon’twanttogetanyonesickandwehavetolookoutforouremployees,that’sreallyimportanttous,”Kimsaid.“Wewanttomakepeoplecomfortableandalittlemoresafe,wejustdon’tknowhowthatlookslikeorwhatthatis.We’vedoneeverythingonourown.”