COVID-19 outbreak declared at The Shish Shawarma & Grill: MLHU

London, Ont. — The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) has declared a COVID-19 outbreak at The Shish Shawarma & Grill restaurant at 1401 Ernest Ave. in London after six staff members tested positive.

Health officials says the initial case was reported on Tuesday, and on Wednesday, the restaurant closed its doors - at the health unit's direction - after a third case was found among its staff.

The three additional positive tests were received by the health unit Thursday.It is still unclear if any the staff were working while they were infectious.

Still, there may have been low-risk exposure for some customers, and anyone who visited the restaurant between Nov. 22 and Dec. 2 should monitor themselves for any symptoms.

"We know that it raises concerns when the Health Unit declares a COVID-19 outbreak, especially when it's related to a restaurant, but I want to be clear that the risk of contracting the virus in a situation like this is very low," said Dr. Alex Summers, MLHU associate medical officer of health, in a statement.

Summers suggests customers would have had contact with masked staff, which would reduce the risk of transmission.

As they continue to investigate, the health unit recommends following all COVID-19 guidelines.