Hugos owner Dave Evans has informed us that all 52 staff have tested negative for COVID-19 after being advised they were close contacts of a confirmed case last week.
The restauranteur, who opened Hugos with two others in 2009, told us last night, “I wanted to let you know that all of the staff who worked at Hugos Saturday a week ago have tested negative for Covid and are in self isolation.”
“Hopefully Boathouse also had no transmission and Manly stays Covid free,” he added.
The Boathouse group has informed Manly Observer that all tests received so far have been negative.
All close contacts – including diners and staff who were present at the time the confirmed case was at these two venues (19 June evening and 20 June morning)– have been in isolation since they were notified and will require a full two-week period of isolation and subsequent tests before the “all clear” is given.
Dave Evans said his business was notified by NSW Health on Friday afternoon – six days after the potential exposure took place.
“Hugos went into early lockdown last Saturday morning for a week. This was so as to have time to deep clean as well as have a week to see if any of our staff were exposed. This was the correct thing to do in our opinion and was prior to the Saturday afternoon announcement by State Government of a blanket lockdown.
“We contacted all our customers that had booked with us yesterday to notify them of the good news that all of the 52 Hugos staff who were working on Saturday 19 June from 5.30pm have returned negative test results for Covid and are all in self isolation.”
The popular restaurant will not be reopening for take away, he added.
Of the hundreds of potential contact venues in Sydney only the above two have been officially listed on the Northern Beaches and so far appear to have created no seeding event. There are still no active cases of the virus on the Northern Beaches, according to available NSW Health data.
(Hooray!)
