A second Lakewood restaurant is closed this week for suspected norovirus

UPDATE: The restaurant was authorized by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to reopen Feb. 28 after following standard health department protocols for sanitizing the restaurant and discarding food.

*******

A second Lakewood restaurant has been closed this week by the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department for suspicion of a norovirus outbreak.

Mexican fast food restaurant Tijuana Taco at 1005 Bristol Ave. SW in Lakewood, was closed Wednesday after the health department received reports from ill diners.

The ill diners said they ate at Tijuana Tacos on Friday (Feb. 22) Five people from two households reported they experienced norovirus-like symptoms beginning on Saturday (Feb. 23), the health department reported.

The diners reported their symptoms to the health department Wednesday.

The health department investigated and found that two Tijuana Taco employees worked on Feb. 22 and reported that they became ill with norovirus-like symptoms on Feb. 23. The employees will be tested for norovirus.

As is health department protocol, the restaurant will be closed for at least 24 hours to give the department time to investigate the reported illnesses and to allow the staff time to clean and sanitize the restaurant.

The health department also closed the Tijuana Taco food truck as a precaution. No diners reported becoming ill after eating food served from the truck, but the food truck and restaurant share a single kitchen, the health department noted.

Representatives from Tijuana Taco could not be immediately reached Wednesday.

Tuesday, the health department closed another restaurant, California Tacos in Lakewood, after three diners reported they became ill after eating at the Mexican restaurant Sunday (Feb. 24). Employees at California Tacos also reported norovirus-like symptoms and will be tested for the virus.

The health department notes, “We have found no connection to the suspected norovirus outbreak at California Tacos, which is also in Lakewood. Our investigation is ongoing.”

Diners who visited Tijuana Taco and became ill afterward can report their illness to food@tpchd.org, report the illness online at tpchd.org, or call 253-798-4712.

Norovirus outbreaks are receiving extra attention from the health department to help prevent secondary infections. After somebody becomes ill, it is easy to spread the virus to other family members.The health department advises to sanitize and clean a home after anybody suffers norovirus-like symptoms.

Ridding a home or restaurant of the virus is tricky because norovirus is a pesky pathogen that lives on surfaces for several days, is easily spread and highly contagious. The health department recommends using a bleach solution of 1-⅔ cups bleach to one gallon of water and to clean surfaces with the solution, allowing at least a minute of contact time.

The symptoms of norovirus can appear within hours or a few days of coming into contact with the pathogen. The symptoms include prolific vomiting and diarrhea. Symptoms typically clear up in a day or two with typically no long-term effects.

This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 2:30 PM.