A suspected norovirus outbreak has closed the Applebee’s restaurant in East Sunset Drive in Bellingham, Washington over the weekend, according to the Bellingham Herald. The restaurant reopened on Sunday afternoon, but closed again today. The restaurant was closed “out of an abundance of caution.”
Ten to fifteen employees were sent home Friday morning after they called in sick or said they felt sick. Two more food workers reported being ill on Tuesday, February 11, 2014 so the place closed again. Management decided to close the restaurant since they did not know the cause of the illnesses or if any customers could be exposed to a problem.
The restaurant was extensively cleaned over the weekend. The total number of people sickened is not known at this time. Symptoms included nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, which is typical of norovirus.
