East by Southwest, a popular downtown Durango sushi, sashimi and Asian restaurant, reopened Wednesday after closing temporarily last week after a waiter-trainee tested positive for COVID-19.
East by Southwest owner Sergio Verduzco said all employees were tested for the virus by Cedar Diagnostics, a Durango medical lab, and all results came back negative.
In addition, the private firm was hired to sanitize the business using a steam-delivered disinfectant, he said.
“We wanted to be responsible, and take every precaution. But everything is good, and we’re back up. Things are great,” he said.
Verduzco said employees at the restaurant were tested twice, first by San Juan Basin Public Health and a second time by Cedar Diagnostics.
He said results from the SJBPH take longer to come back, so he contracted with Cedar Diagnostics, a Durango medical laboratory, to test employees.
“The turn-around time with San Juan Basin wasn’t quick enough, so we went ahead and contracted with Cedar Diagnostics. They came to the restaurant and tested all the employees again. We got those results this morning, and they were all negative,” he said Thursday.
Tests results from the SJBPH were not back as of Thursday afternoon, Verduzco said.
The waiter-trainee who tested positive for COVID-19 last worked a three-hour shift at the restaurant Oct. 10. He later informed the restaurant he had tested positive for the virus through the testing offered to students and employees at Fort Lewis College.
Verduzco said he opted to close East by Southwest to get all of its employees tested and to clean the restaurant.
“We decided it was in the best interest of our employees and our customers to just close, get everyone tested and clean up the place,” he said. “The health department told us we didn’t have to close – that we could clean up in off hours – but we decided it was better just to err on the side of caution and get the place professionally cleaned, and get everyone tested.”
Claire Ninde, spokeswoman with SJBPH, said the agency cannot identify who has been tested at its test site.
“SJBPH works with businesses who have had staff who have been identified as cases or who have had exposures,” she said. “We will give guidance on testing options as well as on how to take appropriate steps for disinfection and cleaning based on state guidelines. SJBPH appreciates steps businesses have been taking to keep their customers and staff safe by working to control the spread of COVID-19.”
parmijo@durangoherald.com
