Public Health-Seattle and King County closed the Dukes Seafood at Alki Beach as a safety measure Wednesday morning after a positive response from seven employees in a popular West Seattle hangout. Coronavirus Over the past two weeks, management has confirmed.
One source told the Seattle Times that two employees at the Bellevue and Tacoma branches also tested positively, but neither restaurant was closed.
Duke’s executives issued a statement Wednesday, saying, “Three team members have warned us of exposure to COVID-19 outside the restaurant over the last few weeks. When we learned of their exposure, we contained it, evaluated each situation, notified all company team members, alerted the health department, and notified guests through various channels. In the case of, we also closed these stores to allow time for cleaning and team members being tested.”
Health officials inspecting Duke’s restaurant Wednesday Wednesday did not comment, but the District Health Department said Wednesday that Duke in Arki said, “A COVID-19 outbreak among employees, workplace. Potential, workplace potential, employee infection, and non-compliance with Washington’s Safe Start Plan.”
Health officials did not identify some Governor Jay Insley’s resumption plan The restaurant was at risk.
Two Alki employees at Duke’s have spoken to the Seattle Times over the past five days and expressed concern that management is putting employee safety first.
Both servers requested anonymity because they fear losing their jobs.
One server said he had worked for at least 20 lunch and dinner shifts, and despite the governor’s mandate to sit under the second phase opening guidelines, executives are actively at every table. Pushed to fill (close to 40 tables indoors, walkways, patios). You cannot exceed 50% of your governor plan.
The server also sent the phone photos to the Seattle Times. This photo shows Duke’s outdoor deck filled with several dining guests who are not sitting 6 feet apart from each other, as required by the state’s reopening plan. The server told the Seattle Times that the owners added more seats to the patio and added the best real estate overlooking the beach, squeezing more dining guests.
Inslee’s Resume Guidelines also state that a food party should be limited to 5 people. But according to one server at Alki’s location, this was a rule. Duke’s executives said they repeatedly violated by allowing dinner seats for 6 or more people and, in at least one case, were seated in a “14-party party.”
Duke’s spokesperson Cheryl Engstrom denied these claims.
“Duke’s has adopted a letter that complies with CDC recommendations and the Department of Health’s recommendations. Duke puts employee and guest safety first and foremost,” said Engstrom. I will.
The tension between some servers and administration continued to rise as more workers in the chain recently tested positive for COVID-19. According to one server, a colleague in Alki’s place had a positive response on June 24, but management did not notify staff of these results until a day and a half later. Meanwhile, it was a business as usual, the server said.
Duke’s management refuted the claim, and the server was not positive until June 26th, so the staff was contacted immediately and the restaurant posted a notice on Facebook one day later to inform the public in general. Said he did.
According to the server, many workers in Alki are afraid of their health after the first positive case and didn’t want to go back to work immediately, but management pressured staff to return. ..
In a note to the staff shared with the Seattle Times, a senior official in the chain petitioned this.
“Hello again, team alkyl,
“At the moment, I understand that there are many surprises about the recent positive case of Covid and one of our team members. We want to be fully aware of our overall concerns and take every precaution. And I support each and every decision, but I must encourage you to hear what the CDC tells us: Covid’s non-symptoms are currently tested. Again, once again, what’s in your mind is welcome. However, test sites can simply risk themselves if tested without symptoms. Suggests that there is. [sic] Place yourself around the person with the condition. At this time, there is no reason to believe that anyone else was exposed or infected…”
Since the memo was published, six workers, including senior official Duke who wrote the memo, have tested positive.
“We don’t have to quarantine, but we need to monitor our symptoms for signs of COVID-like illness,” Jeff Duchin said. The doctor said in a statement on the Health Department website.
