The Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU) is advising anyone who may have attended Paranyde Bar & Grill, located at 1100 Commissioners Road East, last Friday and Saturday nights to monitor themselves for symptoms of COVID-19. This notification comes after the MLHU was notified late yesterday that an individual who attended the night club over the weekend had tested positive for COVID-19. This individual was infectious while they were there and may have exposed a number of other patrons to the virus while at the bar.
Health Unit staff members have followed up with both the patron and the club’s owner and have been unable so far to identify all of those who may have had close contact with this individual. The Health Unit is recommending that anyone who was at Paranyde Bar & Grill on the evenings of Friday, September 17th and Saturday, September 18th, between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. monitor themselves for symptoms and get tested right away, should any develop.
“There is a risk that anyone who had close contact with this individual may have been exposed to COVID-19. Because we don’t have a list of this person’s possible close contacts, it will be very important for anyone who starts to develop any COVID symptoms to get tested right away,” says Dr. Alex Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health with the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “Whether they attended Paranyde Bar & Grill or not, we advise anyone who starts to show symptoms to book a COVID-19 test right away.”
The Health Unit is notified whenever someone in London or Middlesex County tests positive for COVID-19. MLHU staff then contact the individual to retrace their activities in the days leading up to their diagnosis to identify close contacts who may require further follow up and guidance.
The Health Unit is also reminding bar, nightclub and restaurant operators of the importance of collecting customer contact information for the purposes of contact tracing, should a case of COVID-19 be confirmed in an individual who attends their business. Under Rules for Areas at Step 3 and the Roadmap Exit (O. Reg. 364/20) contact information must be collected for all parties that attend food and drink facilities in the Middlesex-London region.
In addition to requirements for food and drink establishments under the Rules for Areas at Step 3, the Health Unit also issued a pair of Section 22 Class Orders yesterday related to high-risk gatherings and the ongoing risky behaviours we continue to see in the community. The Section 22 Order for Food and Drink establishments requires that any patron who attends such an establishment wear a mask or face covering at all times, except when they are consuming food or beverages while seated in a designated area. Food and drink are only to be consumed at designated tables, which are separated by a distance of at least two metres or by an impermeable barrier, such as plexiglass.
For more information about the Section 22 Orders, visit: https://www.healthunit.com/section-22-orders-and-instructions
Media Contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit, 519-617-0570 (cell)
Spokesperson:
Dr. Alex Summers, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Middlesex-London Health Unit