FOLLOWUP: Duke’s on Alki closes for cleaning after second COVID-19 case

| Coronavirus | West Seattle businesses | West Seattle news | West Seattle restaurants

Duke’s on Alki is closed until Thursday for a “deep cleaning” after a second employee tested positive for COVID-19. We contacted Duke’s after this was first mentioned in a new comment today on our Saturday report about the first case. Here’s what CEO John Moscrip told us: “To confirm, we have had 2 total positive cases, and we are closing today and tomorrow for a professional, deep cleaning using an Electrostatic spray, as well as so our team members can get tested. We anticipate opening again on Thursday.”

West Seattle waitress June 30, 2020 (7:59 pm)

Does anyone else feel like a workplace with one positive employee should close until the rest of the employees test negative? I was super surprised that Dukes and Trader Joe’s didn’t do this initially

heartless June 30, 2020 (9:14 pm)

I’m conflicted… on the one hand, if worn correctly masks really do reduce transmission, so if everyone was always masked, maybe that is not necessary? On the other hand who always wears their mask correctly 100% of the time (including not adjusting it or touching it or taking it off for a break)? Maybe workplaces could just get everyone who was working the same shift to stay home until they test negative, and if they have enough people just continue with the other employees?
- Restaurant Worker July 1, 2020 (12:00 am)
  
  I work in a local restaurant and think that asking workers to work around any volume of unmasked people eating and drinking, even with the magical thinking of five people or less to a group separated by six feet indoors is somehow “safe” during an actively growing pandemic, is a terrible idea. The masks we wear (assuming they are even being worn and aren’t just being put on only when customers are present), aren’t doing much to protect us, given that the public isn’t allowed to have N95 masks. They all should be tested. And indoor dining should not be accepted by the public and should not be allowed at this time (said by someone who depends on that money and has many friends facing unimaginable financial losses).
  - heartless July 1, 2020 (12:04 pm)
    
    Yeah, I don’t think it’s safe for restaurants to be open at all for indoor seating–especially given how crowded so many of them seem. Ideally workers would be taken care of and restaurants would still be closed for indoor seating, I agree with you.
    
    In my comment I was more musing about the original point, that is what should happen when a restaurant decides to stay open once the inevitable happens and workers get sick. Very few easy decisions these days.
    - Restaurant Worker July 2, 2020 (10:31 am)
      
      Sorry, I was responding to multiple things. What is happening in many places is that the staff is not really doing the masks during set up and break down. The kitchen? Not wearing masks until they are told to, if they are told to at all. Food sharing, drinks sharing, as stupid as it seems during this, I am seeing every day at my job. The nature of restaurants is a lot of after work partying. It is so unlikely that it could just be only the people who worked on one particular shift (people working 10 shifts in a row not all that rare in restaurants) that were exposed. They need to shut the whole thing down for long enough that ALL employees are given the green light by the health department. Plus they should be shut down by the county for violating the phase 2 requirements.

Hmm what? June 30, 2020 (8:47 pm)

Trader Joe’s in West Seattle? Anyone know how the contact tracing works? Like if we shopped there the day the employee who tested pod was working, would we be contacted?

herongrrrl July 1, 2020 (7:37 am)

I read a while back that contact tracing considers a “contact” to be someone you spent 15+ minutes with at a distance of less than 6′. Don’t remember if anything about masks was specified in that, since it was long before the mask order went into effect. But based on that, no, you wouldn’t be contacted via contact tracing if you were doing usual shopping activities at a store where someone tested positive.
Xman July 1, 2020 (10:09 am)

I guess in a perfect world yes. It looks good to say we will do contact tracing but it doesn’t often happen. My son tested positive at Swedish weeks ago and there was no contact tracing follow up and he’d been everywhere. Luckily he told us and we stayed in for two weeks.

Heshee June 30, 2020 (9:14 pm)

Same here…it seems that it would make sense to get all employees a test for their safety in these situations.

Beepee June 30, 2020 (11:02 pm)

So I don’t know if indoor malls are open yet, but what would happen if dukes at southcenter had employees test positive ? Is it just more lax because it’s on the beach ?

Michael Waldo July 1, 2020 (6:33 am)

I will continue to do take out for the foreseeable time being. The guidelines say you can take off the mask while sitting at a table, but servers come to the table to take your order and bring your food. Makes no sense.

Heshe July 1, 2020 (12:33 pm)

I completely agree with you Michael Waldo.

arctic triumph July 1, 2020 (8:33 am)

When the virus just started to spread in the US, a Chinese friend warned me of the dangers of getting infected through the eyes. Many ER doctors in Wuhan were still getting sick even while wearing masks, because their eyes were exposed. When both parties are wearing masks is stops the virus pretty well. One masked person waiting on a table of patrons eating, talking and laughing…

barbara s spector July 1, 2020 (8:38 am)

King county isn’t living up to its criteria for phase 2. Who’s in charge?

JenT July 1, 2020 (12:41 pm)

Take a look everywhere in the US that has reopened, and they’re all closing down again.

This will happen here, too, it’s only a matter of time.

Take-out is the safest option if you want to have food you don’t prep yourself.

Allison July 1, 2020 (7:28 pm)

We ate at Dukes on 7/28 and felt so bad for our waiter. He was completely exasperated trying to keep up with being understaffed. I’m sure he’ll appreciate a few days off.

J July 1, 2020 (8:38 pm)

Dukes FB page shows a comment about having 4 cases now. WSB…do you have any updates that can be shared?

WSB July 1, 2020 (8:50 pm)

No, I will have to contact the company again and may not hear back until tomorrow.

WSHusky July 1, 2020 (8:40 pm)

My friend works there. They now have 4 confirmed cases. Closed until Friday now for deep cleaning. Won’t do them any good unless everyone that works there gets tested and they do safe practices. I routinely see them serving at near capacity and seen tables larger than 5. Not surprising to see this happening.

Anonymous July 2, 2020 (12:22 am)

2 more positive cases. 4 employees have tested positive overall. The gm sent out an email today pretty much requiring the restaurant be open on the 4th of july.

M July 2, 2020 (9:25 am)

They said the first 2 cases the staff did not get it at the restaurant. If that is true, then why do 4 employees have it now?

Anonymous July 2, 2020 (12:24 am)

Unsafe business practices are hurting this community. Almost all of the service staff are from and live in west seattle.

Restaurant Server July 2, 2020 (1:13 pm)

I just want to say that this issue of restaurant workers contracting Covid is not about restaurants failing to practice healthy guidelines. It’s about the community refusing to wear masks to protect these workers & each other. I’ve been working in a restaurant and it’s scary!! I was completely shocked that not ONE person I served wore a mask before they were made mandatory.
- Restaurant Worker July 2, 2020 (3:35 pm)
  
  I’m happy to hear that your place of employment has good practices. I agree that the public has not been living up to their responsibility to protect us and each other, but there are many restaurants, including the one I work for that are not enforcing safety measures. Staff are not wearing masks before and after (and even during) service, which creates an unsafe workplace and is endangering everyone else as well, and many places are choosing not to follow other Phase 2 requirements, adding to this issue of restaurant workers contracting covid-19.
- M July 2, 2020 (9:44 pm)
  
  Regarding your comment. How do you expect people to eat if wearing a mask at the restaurant?
  - Restaurant Worker July 2, 2020 (10:50 pm)
    
    Obviously you can’t wear a mask while drinking and eating. You can wear a mask anytime you are in public, not just because it is a state mandate, but because you care about preventing the spread of covid-19 and you care about the people in your community. We are seeing an appalling number of community members not bothering to wear a mask to pick up food or now to come to dine in house, despite the clearly laid out requirements made by the governor multiple times in the past month. I don’t think we should be allowing dining indoors because restaurant workers are being put at too high of a risk in our workplaces…but the public certainly can at least pretend they care about our health by wearing a mask until they get to their table. And as of today, we aren’t even allowed to let you in the door if you don’t .

Restaurant Worker July 2, 2020 (9:56 am)

WS blog- any update on what Duke’s is doing? Seems like with 4 employees with Covid-19, it is very unlikely that there could be many, if any staff that won’t need to quarantine for 2 weeks, as per the DOH. What the heck is going on?

Duke's Employee July 2, 2020 (11:20 am)

The first known Duke’s case is believed to be from an employee’s friends outside of work. Difficult to be certain, but we can assume the now 4 current cases are from the original employee. Multiple employees have sought out testings and have pending results. We antipicate more positive cases as results file in. Public health has been notified, not sure where they are at with this. For everyone’s safety, if you dined at Dukes Alki in the past 1-2 weeks, it’s probably best to get tested regardless of symptoms due to the high likely chance you have come in some form of contact with a positive employee/environment. Unfortunately, our management has not be upfront with the staff or community about these updates. Most recently, our manager stated an intent to open tomorrow (7/3) despite pending results. Multiple staff members feel absolutely horrible about the situation and wish for the best outcome for everyone. Please do what is best for yourself and your families safety.

Restaurant Worker July 2, 2020 (12:32 pm)

Thanks for the update. I am wondering if y’all are wearing masks all the time- not to call out individual employees, but to have a conversation about how restaurant managers and owners are handling this situation. I know that in my restaurant, kitchen staff aren’t wearing masks and once the public leaves (and before we open), mostly everyone takes off their masks …those of us choosing not to unmask are forced to work in this environment, and this should be something that is being addressed for workplace safety, as well as for the safety of the public. It’s up to us to put the pressure on.

Duke’s Employee July 2, 2020 (1:13 pm)

The mask use is similar to your restaurant. Before opening and after closing minimal to no masks are worn nor does management enforce it. A lot laxity in the kitchen as well, either minimal mask wearing, incorrectly wearing the mask, etc. Rules/policies and cleanliness are really only as good as the ones enforcing it. Dukes seems very motivated by money and public perception, not safety or well-being.

Duke's Employee 2 July 7, 2020 (10:31 am)

I just wanted to add since I don’t see it anywhere, there are actually 6 confirmed cases within the staff at dukes. I’d also like to add that it’s only FOH employees.

Restaurant Worker July 7, 2020 (11:12 am)

Thanks for reporting. WSB is failing at helping us, the workers at incredibly high risk (my doctor says it is suicidal to work serving unmasked people right now- I have no choice, unfortunately) Duke’s has not made this information public, nor have they shut down to prevent further spread among the staff, which is criminal. This is so messed up.
Duke's Employee 3 July 7, 2020 (11:21 am)

Make that 7 and counting… Employees who live with coworkers who tested positive are still being encouraged to show up to work. Unfortunately some employee areas are compact not leaving enough space to social distance. This is scary.

Duke's Employee 4 July 7, 2020 (7:13 pm)

The WSB has been notified about the most current count of 7 known cases. They haven’t published, maybe because they can’t get ahold of Duke’s management?? WSB feel free to weigh in here.

Restaurant Server July 8, 2020 (1:04 pm)

It sounds like a very scary situation for you as a staff member. Have you considered contacting Seattle Times, Komo or Kiro news? Possibly, the public should be made aware at this point so that the patrons involved can also get tested.

Sorry, comment time is over.