The two Colonie restaurants closed by the Albany County Health Department will likely remain shuttered for a total of two weeks.
Delmonico’s Italian Steakhouse on Central Avenue and Philly Bar and Lounge were closed on Thursday, July 2, after three employees at each eatery tested positive for COVID-19.
Since, the state Health Department tested 65 employees at Delmonico’s with two more testing positive and 35 employees at Philly were tested with one more testing positive for the virus.
Dr. Elizabeth Whalen, head of the county Department of Health, said she recommended the restaurants stay closed for two more weeks out of an abundance of precaution. She did say, though, that any customer that patronized the restaurants were at a low risk of being infected because odds are the employee was wearing a mask and the time a customer spent with an employee was probably minimal.
“We think it is a low risk, we can never say no risk, but we think it is a low risk to the public who were dining there,” she said on Tuesday. “If anyone has any concerns they should reach out to us.”
She said ownership at each restaurant was being fully cooperative and is working with her office to open up as soon as possible but also in the safest manner possible.
A sign on Delmonico’s driveway last week said it would re-open on Monday, July 6. A sign on Philly’s marque said it would open on Tuesday, July 7.
A statement on the restaurants’ respective social media sites said they were doing temperature checks on employees when they reported to work, were already mandating masks and social distancing and had sanitization procedures in place prior to their employees testing positive.
“We will continue working with the Albany County Department of Health and we will not reopen until we are confident that our team and guests will be in a safe and health atmosphere,” said a statement by Delmonico’s.
Meanwhile, there were 1,953 cases in Albany County on Tuesday, up five from Monday. There are 234 people under quarantine with 1,901 who have tested positive and recovered. There are 53 active cases in Albany County as of Tuesday, said County Executive Dan McCoy during a press briefing.
