News

2 Colorado In-N-Outs source of 140-plus COVID cases

Photo: iStock

January 7, 2021

In what one Colorado newspaper dubbed the largest restaurant-related COVID-19 outbreak since the pandemic began there, two recently opened locations of In-N-Out there -- in Colorado Springs and Aurora – continued to multiply, reaching more than 140 at last count, according toThe Gazette, based in Colorado Springs.

Case growth has been more pronounced from the Aurora, Colorado store recently, which has added 20 new cases each of the last two weeks, according to the health department in that jurisdiction. The store opened in December, a launch marred by fights that erupted in lines of people waiting to get into the Aurora store.

"Currently there is not a recommendation to close the location," said Natalie Sosa, spokeswoman for El Paso County where the the store is located, told the newspaper. "Based on Public Health's follow up and investigation, In-N-Out is adhering to frequent cleaning and disinfecting protocols, in addition to enacting employee screenings, exclusion of ill employees, and cohorting staff. Recommendations to temporarily close are given when transmission within the facility is identified and to allow for proper cleaning and disinfecting."

In-N-Out did not respond to The Gazette, but this afternoon provided this statement to QSRweb:

"We are experiencing a substantial improvement in the number of new COVID-19 cases occurring among our teams in Colorado. At this time, we have less than five active confirmed cases between our two locations, although we know that trends can change quickly. The remaining Associates who tested positive have already recovered, and are presently healthy and well. While we feel positive about the improvement, we are concerned when any member of our Associate family is affected. We continue to keep them in our prayers and we'll also continue to take action to keep our teams as safe as possible.

"We are working closely with our public health agencies to review and confirm that the proactive steps we are taking are appropriate and effective in protecting our communities. This includes limiting the number of Associates and Customers indoors, using staffing "cohorts", and responding quickly to identify and exclude from work anyone who has been in close contact with an individual who has tested positive."