After Reopening at 50 Percent Capacity, Royal China Closes As Employee Contracts COVID-19

A little more than a week after Preston Royal Chinese dining institution Royal China reopened its doors, they’ve shuttered once again following an employee at the restaurant’s positive test for COVID-19.

Royal China announced the indefinite shutter in an Facebook post on Tuesday, noting that the employee was a worker in the kitchen that did not have any contact with diners. “Out of an overabundance of caution and care, we have decided to close the dining room and suspend takeout and delivery while we focus our efforts on these matters,” the post reads. “We will be open again as soon as possible and thank you for your undeniable patience.”

Scope out the statement in full below:

In response to the employee’s positive COVID-19 test, Royal China says that it will test all staff and require workers who were exposed to the virus to quarantine, along with stopping all takeout and delivery orders until further notice.

Royal China isn’t the only restaurant in the city that’s had to contend with employees contracting coronavirus after the reopening. Restaurateur Nick Badovinus chose to close his opulent steakhouse Town Hearth after an employee tested positive back in March, while Arts District breakfast spot Yolk recently opted to keep the doors open and allegedly failed to tell its workers that they had potentially been exposed to the virus.

• Downtown Breakfast Restaurant Didn’t Close After Employee Tested Positive for COVID-19 [EDFW]
• Design District Steakhouse Town Hearth Reports a Server Has Tested Positive for Coronavirus [EDFW]