Local restaurants close down due to COVID-19 exposure

Jenna Peterson ® News Editor |

After 15 days of opening up dine-in services, Rounders was another restaurant to be closed down in Mankato due to exposure to COVID-19. The decision came after a former worker tested positive for the virus.

While the closure is temporary, there will be extensive cleaning and disinfecting done throughout the restaurant, according to the Rounders Facebook page as they want to ensure a healthy environment for everyone once it is safe to return again.

Despite the closing of other local restaurants, not everyone is following suite. A worker from The Atomic Star Tavern, Juan, gave his input of the situation at hand. He stated that although the pandemic is still an issue, people are still coming in to socialize and order food. There has been a slight decrease in customers since Rounders announced they will be closed for the time being, but he believes this won’t last for long and more people will be coming in as the summer progresses. To keep up with CDC regulations, the bartenders and servers at The Atomic Star Tavern are required to wear masks at all time, but for the cooks, it’s a decision they get to make.

It seems as if not many people are worried about the virus and continue to spend time downtown and in other public places. It has been posted all over different platforms of social media of groups spending time together.

Some Minnesota State University, Mankato students, who wish to remain anonymous, have said that the closing of Rounders won’t necessarily change their mind about spending time downtown, but they will be more careful when they are in public. What can be concerning is the lack of people wearing face masks while not social distancing. In Minnesota, the number of new COVID-19 cases has been fluctuating, making it difficult to know how the virus is spreading. With the likely possibility of another wave happening, it’s important to remember and follow CDC guidelines.

Rounders will keep updates on their Facebook page of when they will be reopening.

Header photo from Rounder’s Facebook page.