Coronavirus case temporarily shuts down Champaign restaurant

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Profile photo of The Original Pancake House on Springfield Avenue in Champaign. Credit: Original Pancake House Facebook photo uploaded 2016.

The positive test for Covid-19 for an employee at The Original Pancake House, located on Springfield Avenue, has led to the closing of the restaurant by management.

The restaurant closed on Sunday and plans to reopen on Friday. 

Employees will be tested again on Wednesday and those with negative results will be allowed back to work, a woman, who identified herself as a manager at The Original Pancake House, said. 

There have been two employees who tested positive for Covid-19 and were asymptotic at the time of the first round of testing before they closed, the manager said. 

“We could’ve opened sooner, but we decided it’d be best to close to get a second round of testing,” she said. 

The restaurant case is not classified as an outbreak of the virus, Julie Pryde, Champaign Urbana Public Health District administrator, said in an email. She said some places will choose to close after just one positive case.

Only one other business has done so, according to Pryde. 

Nine restaurants have reported outbreaks, but only one remains active, she said.

The health department classifies an outbreak as two or more outbreaks within a business. 

Pryde said the health department will not release specific names of restaurants or businesses that have had outbreaks, but they will confirm or deny if asked about a specific place.

“We would need to alert the public through the media if we did not receive cooperation,” Pryde said. 

For example, if a place would not cooperate with the health department to notify about potential exposures, Pryde said. 

The outbreaks in restaurants and most other places also tend to be among co-workers, she said.

“They tend to be very good with infection control practices while with the public, but then go on breaks/lunch together, sometimes ride to work together & do not mask-up or keep distance then,” Pryde said.

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  1. Mindy Haile

    A while back I was picking up groceries at Walmart in Savoy when I asked a manager is the rumor was true 5 employees had tested positive in the grocery department she responded at least 5 sunset time I don’t remember seeing or hearing anything about it in the news. Did I just miss it? Also has a had more cases a positive covered 19? I appreciate the openness of Erick Faulkner, and I have every confidence when he reopens he will have done everything humanly possible to create the safest restaurant for his customers, and employees.
    Are you aware Fathers Day is one of the biggest days of the year, yet he VOLUNTEERALLLY closed because he would not expose anyone to the risk! Thank you! Can’t wait for you to reopen.

  2. Mindy Haile

    Awhile back I was picking up groceries at Walmart in Savoy when I asked a manager if the rumor was true – 5 employees had tested positive in the grocery department. She responded “At least 5.” I don’t remember seeing or hearing anything about it it in the news. Did I just miss it? Also have they had more cases a positive covered 19? I appreciate the openness of Erick Faulkner, and I have every confidence when he reopens he will have done everything humanly possible to create the safest restaurant for his customers, and employees.
    Are you aware Fathers Day is one of the biggest days of the year, yet he VOLUNTEERALLLY closed, because he would not expose anyone to the risk! Thank you! Can’t wait for you to reopen.