The inside story of a Covid-19 cluster that developed at the Ivy restaurant in Dublin in December
As indoor dining prepares to reopen .... a cautionary tale of one restaurant’s experience in December 2020
We tell the story – which was researched in January – not to be alarmist: the percentage vaccinated is increasing after all, and these precise patterns are unlikely to be repeated in the coming weeks. Even ahead of reopening, bookings are strong for pre-Christmas, traditionally the busiest and most lucrative period for restaurants.The Ivy Dawson Street restaurant in Dublin reopens, along with many others across the industry. The stylish 200-seat all-day outlet, the only Irish branch of Caprice Holdings’ Ivy Collection UK chain, has been operating in Dublin since 2018.
There are sanitisers throughout the restaurant for guests and staff. Managers check staff temperatures at shift starts. Waiters wear reusable masks bearing the Ivy logo. Staff dress in the changing rooms, many using the iron, wearing masks.“Frank” feels it’s well prepared for reopening, with reduced table numbers, separated by plastic panelling.
The well-oiled machine appears to be working, but some observe that it is not operating perfectly. At the staff entrance workers scan fingers to clock in and out, touching a keypad. Pat says the nearby sanitiser is broken through most of December. “It was filled, but didn’t work.” He doesn’t know if anyone reported it.“It was one of the busiest times I’ve ever worked in the Ivy,” says Pat. “Too busy to stick to all the procedures.
Greg is conscious of an infection risk from surfaces; they’re supposed to sanitise every surface, but under pressure they might sometimes skip.Deborah Martin, working in PR from home since March 2020, meets three friends for dinner at the Ivy. Two days later all four feel ill within an hour of each other: “We started to fall like flies.” All test positive for Covid-19, and in turn pass it on to family members.
Symptoms forms stopped after about a week, one staff member of the Ivy said. File photograph: Dara Mac Donaill / The Irish Times Recommendations, including any exclusion of staff, are made, and responses may differ, depending on circumstances identified by public health, she says. The all-day restaurant is believed to normally serve around 800 people daily. Tables are rearranged for distancing, but waiter Pat reckons that, because the 105-minute limit means faster turnaround, and the restaurant is still doing 700-800 covers a day: “They actually shot up through the month of December.” On the other hand, the time limit reduces how much people drink, Pat adds.
Rumours spread within Dublin hospitality about an outbreak of Covid at the Ivy, among staff and diners An employee, “Ann”, whose job involves contact with both front and back of house, starts to feel sick, and tests positive. Another employee, “Cori”, also tests positive around this weekend. Both are symptomatic but not very sick, and unable to narrow down where it was contracted.
Staff get Tuesday appointments for Covid testing by HSE on the premises. Those who speak to The Irish Times say there was no explanation of why public health was mass testing all staff. Management present it as a precaution and does not notify staff of positive cases. Not being informed, says Greg, “made it worse. We didn’t know anything definitely, but people exaggerate and so we don’t know the truth. I would like to have known. But on the other hand I would have been panicked if I had known.”
An area in the basement is sectioned off for HSE testing. Everyone, rostered or not, is tested, says Frank. “We were told we’re closing tomorrow but everyone will be tested before we go. They took care of us, all things considered.”
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