The two recently opened Colorado restaurants in In-N-Out Burger feature active outbreaks of COVID-19 with 80 staff members who have tested positive for the virus between the two locations, according to state data.
The hugely popular fast food chain debuted in the state on Nov. 20 with locations in Aurora and Colorado Springs; now everyone has coronavirus outbreaks among employees, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
State health officials consider an outbreak to be two or more cases related to the same place or event. Outbreaks are considered to be active until four weeks have elapsed without new cases.
The outbreak at Aurora’s location was declared on December 17 and it was confirmed that 20 staff members had tested positive for the virus and 16 other employees listed as probable cases of COVID-19.
The outbreak of the Colorado Springs location was confirmed by the state on December 6. There have been 60 positive cases of employees at the El Paso County site, with nine suspicious cases among staff members.
The state has not linked any customers to any outbreaks.
Both restaurants remain open, and state health officials generally do not require restaurants or other commercial sites to close with outbreaks.
Denny Warnick, vice president of operations for In-N-Out, acknowledged in a statement the “number of Colorado associates who have tested positive for COVID-19,” adding, “Nothing is more important to us. that the health and safety of our customers and associates “.
All employees who tested positive and those who had close contact with them “have been excluded from the workplace,” Warinck said.
“We continue to work closely with our public health agencies and have confirmed the appropriate steps to help protect our communities,” he said. “These steps include: limiting staff to the minimum number needed to serve our customers, using staff“ cohorts ”to limit possible exposure, and limiting access to the dining room only to food orders, while ensuring proper physical distancing. “
Since it opened to big fanfares in Colorado last month, every place has experienced long lines. This mania has persisted; the drive line last Saturday to Aurora was still over three hours old. None of Colorado’s fast food chain locations have active covered meals due to state COVID-19 regulations.
There are currently several active outbreaks at other fast food establishments in Colorado. Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s and Wendy’s have outbreaks in one or two locations each (each with less than 10 employee cases) and no infection from customers has been linked to any of the restaurants, according to state data.
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