New Pleasantville restaurant temporarily closes its doors due to serious health concern
According to the website, it had to close due to a norovirus outbreak amongst its staff.
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A Pleasantville restaurant has temporarily closed its doors due to a norovirus outbreak.
Butter + Brie is a new restaurant that opened its doors a few short weeks ago.
According to the website, it had to close due to a norovirus outbreak amongst its staff.
"Norovirus is a really common virus that we see all over the northeast," said Dr. Evan Cohen, with Northern Westchester Hospital.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness in the United States. Cohen says it can be easily spread.
"We should all be washing our hands after we're touching dirty surfaces. Please wash your hands before you're handling anybody else's food," he said.
Butter + Brie says it's working with the Westchester County Department of Health to minimize any further spread.
Cohen says that this virus isn't something that is routinely tested for at hospitals, so he believes the number of cases is dramatically underreported.
"It can be really miserable. We don't have any, you know, effective prevention, vaccines or treatments for it," said Cohen.
Residents tell News 12 that they respect the restaurant for doing the right thing and closing its doors.
"With all the different outbreaks over the years with COVID and stuff like that, I think people…take things much more seriously when it comes to outbreaks in certain situations," said Blake Lane, a Pleasantville resident.
As a small business supporter, she says that this type of outbreak wouldn't scare her away.
"I would go back in a heartbeat once everything is cleared up," said Lane.
The county health department did confirm to News 12 that it is working with the restaurant.
News 12 reached out to Butter + Brie but did not hear back.
