The founder of Duke's Seafood is defending his company's actions after health officials ordered the restaurant chain to close one of its locations over COVID-19 cases.
Public Health Seattle King-County said in a statement that Seattle, Washington-based Duke’s Seafood’s location in Alki Beach, Seattle, needed to be closed “due to the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19 among employees and the potential for continued transmission.”
In addition, “the set-up of the restaurant did not promote appropriate customer distancing,” Public Health said.
While Washington state guidelines say that restaurant seating is limited to 50 percent capacity indoors and outdoors, Duke’s violated the guidelines, KIRO 7 reported.
“An employee and customers told KIRO 7 the customers regularly filled the restaurant beyond maximum capacity as mandated by the state’s Stay Safe, Stay Healthy guidelines,” the TV station said.
However, the eight-unit restaurant chain “believes we have followed recommendations,” Duke Moscrip, the company's founder and co-partner, told SeafoodSource.
“We are saddened by it [the restaurant’s closure] and are working with the health department and our team to reopen as soon as we can. We continue to work with team and the health department to understand the recommendations,” Moscrip added.
Despite “strictly following” Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and local health department guidelines, team members at three of the company’s restaurants alerted the restaurant chain to recent exposures they had outside of the restaurant to COVID-19, Duke's Co-Partner John Moscrip said in a statement provided to SeafoodSource.
“Each subsequently tested positive, each at different times. Once these team members notified us of their exposure, they did not work in their respective restaurants. Nor did any team member work in any of our restaurants after reporting symptoms and no team member worked in our restaurants after testing positive,” Duke’s said. “In addition, we evaluated each situation, informed all company team members, alerted the health department, and notified our guests through a variety of channels. In each case, we closed the three impacted restaurants for cleaning and sanitation and to allow time for team members to be tested.”
Seven team members tested positive at the company’s Alki location, while two tested positive at its Tacoma restaurant, and one at its Bellevue restaurant.
“The health and safety of our team members and guests is, and always has been, our top priority, which is why we are deeply saddened by these cases,” Duke’s said. “We will continue to work hand-in-hand with the local health departments and follow CDC guidelines throughout these trying times and will continue to be fully transparent with our team members, guests, and the community.”
