In Schuyler County, New York, a Dunkin Donuts hepatitis A employee worked while infectious, according to a press release by the Chemung County Health Department. An investigation has been launched because that person worked at two area Dunkin Donuts locations.
The two locations are at the Dunkin Donuts shop on Corning Road (Miracle Mile) in Elmira Heights and at the Walmart store on County Road 64 in Horseheads, where the person worked for one day. The establishments have been notified by the health department of the potential exposure. The employe has not worked since February 11, 2021.
The health department is also asking the managers of those locations to send any staff reporting hepatitis A symptoms for medical evaluations before they to ack to work. Employees of the restaurants will be offered post exposure prophylaxis. The Elmira Heights location will be subject to additional inspections over the next few weeks and is complying with New York state health department recommendations.
Anyone who ate food or drinks through dine-in, takeout, or delivery, or who used the restroom at Dunkin Donuts in Elmira Heights, at 2501 Corning Road on February 9 or February 11, 2021 can get a free vaccination from the Chemung County Heath Department. The vaccination clinic will be held at 17 Aviation Road in Horseheads, New York on Saturday, February 20, from 9:00 to noon and on Sunday February 21 from noon to 3 pm. You can pre-register online.
Anyone who ate food or drinks via dine-in, takeout, delivery, or who used the bathrooms at either Dunkin Donuts locations between January 26, 2021 and February 5, 2021 may have been exposed but will not benefit from the vaccine since that time period is outside the vaccination window of two weeks after exposure. Those people need to monitor themselves for the symptoms of hepatic A, which include fever, fatigue, nausea, dark urine, clay colored stools, vomiting, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, joint pain, and jaundice. If you do develop symptoms, call your doctor.
