Hawaiian health officials closed all Oahu and Kauai Genki Sushi restaurants on Monday evening. The action comes after health officials identified frozen scallops served raw at the restaurants as the likely source of an ongoing Hepatitis A outbreak that has sickened at least 168.
The number sickened in the outbreak will likely to rise in coming weeks, as symptoms of Hepatitis A can take a month or more to appear after exposure to the virus.
Diners Allowed to Continue Eating after Restaurants Responsible for Outbreak Closed
According to CBS, the restaurants closed early Monday evening “to prevent any further illness and protect the public.” Despite written notification that the restaurants were being closed due to being the source of the outbreak, the restaurant supervisor failed to inform those already dining.
“They served us,” said Brenda Garcia, who was eating at the restaurant when the news broke and the restaurant was ordered to close. She continued, saying that after being served, a “lady was coming around saying, ‘This is going to be the last call. Just finish up your food order up we’re closing down.'”
Employees did not instruct diners to quit eating their meals.
When asked why employees were not informing diners of what was happening, the supervisor on duty said that “they had only been informed by management that they were closing, and declined to look at the Department of Health notification when offered.”
