By David Gordon, associate editor
Health authorities in Chippewa and Eau Claire Counties issued alerts Thursday in regard to potential COVID-19 exposure at two Water Street bars and one in Chippewa Falls.
UPDATE: A third Eau Claire bar — Brothers, at 324 Water St. — was notified Friday morning that its patrons may also have been exposed to the virus. The City-County Health Department said the exposure risk began at 11:30 p.m. last Thursday (June 18) and lasted until 2 a.m.
In a Facebook posting, the bar said it would be closed tonight (Friday) because its staff was being tested for COVID-19.
The health department added that the risk of exposure at The Pickle was greater than was originally noted — see below.
The SandBar and Grille, 17643 50th Ave., Chippewa Falls, responded almost immediately Thursday on Facebook that it was closing through July 2. The post added that the establishment was working with the county health department to implement extra safety precautions through cleaning and disinfecting procedures.
She-Nannigans, 415 Water St., Eau Claire, posted on Facebook that it was closing Thursday night “for a thorough cleaning and will be back open tomorrow (Friday) night.”
The third establishment, The Pickle at 341 Water St., hadn’t indicated any plans to close on its Facebook page by late Thursday night.
These developments came amid indications of “high” COVID-19 levels of activity in 22 Wisconsin counties, according to a story in UpNorthNews. Overall, the state has been given a high activity rating for the number of cases per 100,000 people in the past 14 days and the degree at which the rate is climbing, the story said.
The Chippewa County Department of Public Health said in a Thursday morning press release that anyone who had visited the SandBar and Grille between June 12 and 20 was at risk for exposure to COVID-19. If they show any symptoms of the virus, it’s recommended that “they contact a healthcare provider to be tested,” the department said.
“Symptoms of COVID-19 include fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, and diarrhea,” according to the press release.
Similar advice was given by the Eau Claire City-County Health Department, aimed at patrons who were at The Pickle and She-Nannigans this past weekend. The alert covered patrons of The Pickle last Friday and Saturday nights, between 10:30 p.m. and midnight on June 19 and between 11:30 p.m. and 1:30 a.m. the following night.
The additional alert for customers of The Pickle was aimed at anyone who was there between 10 and 11:30 p.m. on June 18 (last Thursday).
For She-Nannigans’ customers, the relevant hours are midnight to 2:30 a.m. on June 20 and 1:30-2:30 a.m. on June 21. Both establishments are cooperating with the public health investigations, the department said.
More information is available on the Chippewa County Department of Public Health webpage or by contacting the department at covid@co.chippewa.wi.us or 715-726-7900.
Alternatively, the Eau Claire City-County Health Department is making information available on its website, covid19eauclaire.org, and through the COVID-19 phone line at 715-831-7425.
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