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Forage Market, a bagel and coffee shop with locations in Lewiston and Portland, will close its operations for two weeks after the owner’s son tested positive for the coronavirus.
In a Facebook post, owner Allen Smith said that he will close the Lisbon Street location in Lewiston and the Washington Avenue location in Portland and reopen June 18. He said his son likely caught the virus during recent protest activities in both cities.
“At this time we do not have reason to believe that any staff members have been infected at work,” Smith said. “Even so, Forage will remain closed to eliminate the possibility of further transmission among staff members.”
He said his son has been a dishwasher the past few months and was not recently in a food-handling position. He also was not part of the team bringing food curbside.
He said that late Sunday his son received a positive diagnosis for COVID-19. He had arrived at work Sunday morning with a headache and didn’t look well, so he was sent home before his shift began.
To protect staff and customers, Smith decided to not open Monday.
He said his son is young and already appears to be bouncing back from his bout with the virus.
The news follows a similar move by Salvage BBQ & Smokehouse in Portland, which announced in a Facebook post on May 26 that it would close for two weeks because an employee tested positive for the coronavirus.
Watch: Symptoms of the coronavirus disease
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