Venice restaurant Gjusta closes temporarily after employee tests positive for COVID-19

Gjusta will be closed through April 5 after one of its employees tested positive for COVID-19, according to a sign posted on the restaurant’s door on Monday.

The sign said that while the source of the coronavirus infection was unknown, the employee had not been involved in the care of a COVID-19-positive individual or recently traveled to any affected areas, leading the Venice deli and bakery to assume the virus was contracted through community spread.

A post to Gjusta’s Instagram account clarified that the employee had “presented with fatigue and a sore throat, with no reported fever or coughing” and that “the individual tested out of an abundance of caution due to an immunocompromised family member.”

The post also said that “based on current information and belief” the affected employee did not spend extended time within the property over the last several days.

It’s unclear whether other Gjusta workers are being tested, or how the restaurant determined the duration of the closure. An email to Gjusta partner and chief operating officer Shelley Kleyn Armistead was not immediately returned.

Out of “an abundance of caution,” Gjusta management said that the restaurant would be closed for the next week, “in order to evaluate any potential exposure risks and to conduct a thorough cleaning as needed to sanitize and disinfect Gjusta entirely, which will be done in accordance with CDC guidelines.”

Customers with concerns or questions were encouraged to contact shelley@gjelinagroup.com.