Aqui closes outdoor patios after Campbell employee tests positive

Two days after an employee at its Campbell location tested positive for COVID-19, the popular South Bay restaurant franchise Aqui Cal-Mex is closing its outdoor patios.

Dave O’Mara, founder and owner of Aqui, confirmed in an interview Friday that an employee at the restaurant at 201 E. Campbell Ave. notified him Wednesday about testing positive for the virus. O’Mara declined to say what the employee’s role was at the restaurant and when they last worked there.

After hearing Wednesday

that the employee had a confirmed case of COVID-19, the restaurant shuttered for about two hours as workers thoroughly cleaned it before reopening to the public, he said.

Some employees of Aqui — known for its California cuisine and Industrial Strength Swirls — quickly took to social media Thursday to question the business’s decision to remain open.

“They’re still open and running and NOT letting the public know,” an employee wrote on Twitter. “(I don’t care) if I lose my job, it wouldn’t sit right with me if I didn’t let you guys know.” Her post received nearly 1,000 retweets and likes.

O’Mara said he apologized if it seemed that the restaurant franchise was “slow to answering questions.”

“We’re still learning what information to relay in a legal and appropriate manner,” he said. “But we want people to know that we’re only going to stay open if we can ensure the entire environment is asymptomatic and safe for everyone.”

As of Friday, the Campbell location will be closing for several days so other team members can get tested.

The other four Aqui restaurants remain open for takeout, but their newlyopened outdoor patios will be closed again due to what

O’Mara said was some customers’ disregard for social distancing and face covering protocols.

“We can’t get anyone to put on masks, they don’t follow the rules,” he said. “It’s definitely going to reduce business, but we were uncomfortable with what we were seeing.”

O’Mara said he has gone above and beyond the county’s sanitation requirements to mandate employees wipe down regularly-used surfaces every 20 minutes, spray disinfectant twice a day and wear masks, even prior to the county order.

“We are working hard to make our environments as safe as possible for our community, our team and for us as senior management,” he said. “Once we’re aware of any positive test, Aqui continues to double down on its effort to be a leader in cleanliness.”

Guidance from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department recommends that if an employee tests positive for COVID-19 after showing up to work with symptoms, a business owner should:

• Cease operations and close the facility until it is thoroughly sanitized.

• Instruct the sick employee to self-isolate at home.

• Inform other employees that they may have been exposed to COVID-19 and which days the potential exposure occurred.

O’Mara said he followed the county recommendations closely and has instructed anyone who was working with the employee within seven days of the individual testing positive for COVID-19 to get tested.