With the continuing spike in COVID-19 cases in East Boston and a positive test rate hovering at 11 percent, two popular neighborhood restaurants a few blocks from one another have closed temporarily due to a COVID scare.
On Monday morning, The Quiet Few on Sumner Street announced that a patron had tested positive for the virus after dining at the bar over the weekend and the restaurant will close for a week.
“While no staff member has tested positive we decided we are not going to wait for the possibility of a positive result before we shut our doors,” said The Quiet Few in a statement. “We are going to do it now in hopes of getting ahead of a worse case scenario. Best case, everyone is fine and comes back well rested from a week off.”
A few hours later the Cunard Tavern on Orleans Street made the same announcement.
“This afternoon we learned that a guest who dined with us on Saturday, November 7, tested positive for Covid-19,” said the Cunard in a statement. “We are therefore closing Cunard to contact trace and allow time for individuals to be tested. Cunard will also be undergoing an extensive sanitizing of the entire restaurant. At this moment no staff members are experiencing symptoms but as soon as we have more information, we will share it here. The Covid-positive guest is feeling fine and is in self-isolation.”
The Cunard has prided itself on the precautions the restaurant has taken to ensure customers and team members can enjoy our restaurant safely.
“From checking temperatures at the door to requiring our staff to take biweekly COVID tests, we are committed to going above what is required by the Governor’s Reopening Protocol,” the statement continues. “And though it is inevitable a situation like this would occur, we feel transparency and an abundance of caution is part and parcel to our commitment to the safety of those who place their trust in us. We hope the efforts we have made will bear out. We will reopen our doors as soon as we feel it’s safe to do so and will notify you all through social media and on our website.”
Both restaurants said the safety of the community, guests, staff and their families remains of the utmost importance. Two weeks ago Little Asia in Orient Heights was forced to temporarily close due to a COVID scare but reopened Nov. 6 with temporary hours