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Health department warns of COVID-19 exposure at Lincoln County restaurant

The restaurant owner said the exposure came from a customer, not an employee
Credit: Rene Dollard/Taormina's
The Lincoln County Health Department said there was possible COVID-19 exposure at Taormina's restaurant

TROY, Mo. — The Lincoln County Health Department is warning people about possible "public exposure" to the coronavirus at an Italian restaurant in Troy.

Anyone who visited Taormina's Sicilian Restaurant on Saturday, June 27 at 7:30-8:30 p.m. should be aware of any symptoms associated with COVID-19, according to a press release from the health department. 

The department would not release information about the patient.

However, the restaurant owner Rene Dollard said the possible exposure came from a customer.

"It was the customer that exposed the restaurant, not the restaurant exposing people," Dolllard told 5 On Your Side during a phone interview Tuesday morning. 

"It's a detriment to our business. Why it was just tagged with our restaurant and not every other place the person went?" Dollard said, referring to the health department's Facebook post.

Dollard also posted a message on her restaurant's Facebook page:

"It was It was NOT ANY staff or employees and WE STILL CURRENTLY  have no symptoms WITH our staff," the post said. We are still currently following all recommendations by the LcHD [Lincoln County Health Department]. They said we can continue business as usual because we are all compliant! As always the health department said we have done and still are doing what's necessary to keep everyone safe. We appreciate the teamwork with our health dept. This notification is just an awareness to give all customers a heads up! Thank you... "

According to the Lincoln County Health Department, there have been 107 lab-confirmed cases of the coronavirus and 35 "probable" cases. One person has died and 127 people have recovered since the beginning of the pandemic.

RELATED: How risky is dining out during the COVID-19 pandemic?

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