UPDATED: DEM Closes State Beach Snack Bar After Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus

UPDATED: DEM Closes State Beach Snack Bar After Employee Tests Positive for Coronavirus

The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) announced Saturday that it has closed the snack bar at Scarborough South State Beach in Narragansett after learning that an employee tested positive for the coronavirus.

This is the latest issue for the beach. State officials have repeatedly said visitors have failed to wear masks.

The vendor that runs food concessions at state beaches notified DEM about the positive test result at 1:30 PM on Saturday and called the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) for guidance.

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RIDOH is investigating and will conduct contact tracing. The snack bar has plexiglass shields at the point of purchase and follows all CDC and RIDOH protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19 including employees wearing face masks and daily cleaning and disinfecting. The concession stand will remain closed until DEM has deep cleaned and disinfected it.

"Yes, we’d advise that any beachgoer who got food at the snack bar on Friday, July 24, get tested. The beach was closed from July 21 to 23 because of high bacteria levels and the snack bar wasn’t opened those days, and the last day the employee worked before July 24 was July 19. So Friday, July 24, is the day we’re most concerned about," said Mike Healey of the RI Department of Environmental Management in an email to GoLocal.

Healey said he was not able yet to identify how many customers had been served on the 24thand may have been exposed.

The employee testing positive last worked at the snack bar July 24. Because of health-care confidentiality laws, DEM will not release the employee’s name, gender, age, or hometown. RIDOH closed Scarborough South State Beach from July 21 until July 23 because of high bacteria levels. The beach reopened July 24.

As part of a multi-pronged effort to reduce the risk of spread of COVID-19 and prevent crowds, DEM has limited parking at Scarborough, one of the most popular large state beaches, by 75%. Working with RIDOH, DEM also has been giving away masks to beachgoers and is using signage and social media messages to encourage adherence to physical distancing and mask-wearing.

This story was first published 7/25/20 7:13 PM and was updated at 6:27 AM on 7/26/20.