In an abundance of caution, the owners of the Larchmont Village Wine and Cheese shop closed the store Friday after one of their employees tested positive for COVID-19.
“We decided to take the necessary precautions for the safety of our customers and staff, even though we weren’t require to close,” owner Sergio Boccato told the Buzz. The Health Department rules require closure if three employees report positive, explained Boccato. No other employees have tested positive, added Boccato, who said he reported the incident to the health department and is waiting to hear back on next steps.
“We are going to stay closed for the next few days,”said Boccato. “Then we will re-test everyone and as soon as we get full clearance of negative testing we will return ASAP.”
Boccato said the closure is really hard for the business and the employees, especially those who have have used all their sick days. Boccato is covering all the testing fees but said he can’t afford to pay for extra days off. He told the Buzz he was frustrated that local officials opened up too quickly. He said he has been following all the recommended protocols, including taking everyone’s temperature every morning, requiring everyone to wear masks, and only allowing six customers in the store at a time — a huge challenge for the small store that greets nearly 300 customers a day.
We look forward to beeing back there soon.
Hmmm, yes they were keeping a tight lid on the number of customers in the store on Thursday when I stopped by for a sandwich. So 6 is the max for customers, I was wondering since its such a small space & there’s always a line for sandwiches.