West End restaurant closed for cleaning after COVID-19 exposure

Hook Seabar is seen in this photo from the restaurant's website.

Vancouver — Health officials are warning patrons of a West End seafood restaurant that they may have been exposed to COVID-19.

The possible exposure at Hook Seabar, located at 1210 Denman St., happened during operating hours from Feb. 9 to 14, according to a notice posted on the Vancouver Coastal Health website.

The health authority says the possible exposures at the site are believed to be low risk, but it's asking anyone who was at the restaurant during the specified dates and times to self-monitor for symptoms of the coronavirus.

There is no known risk to anyone who was at Hook Seabar outside of the hours specified.

Health authorities in B.C. only issue public exposure notices when there is a possibility of COVID-19 transmission and they are unable to contact everyone who may have been exposed to the disease.

In a post on its Facebook page, Hook Seabar writes that a "team member" tested positive for the coronavirus and the restaurant will be closed "until further notice."

"During this time we will conduct a deep clean and sanitization of the restaurant and provide our team members with the time to take a test should they meet assessment requirements," the restaurant's post reads.

The restaurant says it has "an extensive COVID-19 safety plan in place" and has been following all of the guidelines set by WorkSafeBC and Vancouver Coastal Health.

"We take the safety of our guests and staff very seriously and look forward to serving you once again soon," the post reads.