What to Know
- The Mamaroneck Diner & Pizza Restaurant closed temporarily on Friday after two customers said they'd fallen sick with a virus
- The diner voluntarily closed as a precautionary measure and hopes to reopen on Monday
- The Health Department will visit the diner on Monday to clear its staff, a spokesperson said
Health officials have confirmed that the illness reported by several customers and employees at a Westchester diner last week was the highly contagious Norovirus stomach bug.
The Mamaroneck Diner & Pizza Restaurant voluntarily closed on Friday after two customers contacted the eatery and said they'd fallen ill. The Westchester County Department of Health confirmed Monday that it was the norovirus, which is the most common cause of foodborne illness and causes severe vomiting and diarrhea.
The health department says the diner has been "extremely cooperative" in ensuring every precaution was taken to prevent spreading of the norovirus, and reiterated that the diner brought in an outside firm to throughly clean the restaurant.
"Public health nurses worked over the weekend and today to interview Diner employees and have excluded from work any staff who were ill or had recently been ill," the health department said in a statement. "It is up to the diner’s management to determine when to reopen. The health department plans to be present when they do reopen to assure that those who report to work are healthy."
Health inspectors will remain on site through the week.
Anyone who experiences nausea, vomiting or diarrhea should stay home and limit their contact with others, and not handle food for others, health officials said. Anyone who works in health care, child care or food prep should stay home from work until 72 hours after symptoms resolve.
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There's no treatment for norovirus other than to drink plenty of fluids; the illness simply has to run its course. Most people recover in a few days.
More information about norovirus can be found at westchester.gov/health.
