Award winning Longford restaurant pauses dine-in service as Omicron continues to take hold
As more and more Longford people contract the Omicron variant of Covid-19, businesses are shutting their doors due to staff members testing positive.
Ballymahon restaurant Jolly Boys announced yesterday that it would be ceasing all services until further notice due to a number of staff members testing positive for the virus.
The Rustic Inn, Abbeyshrule, has also announced that it is ceasing its dine-in service to give staff members who have tested positive or who are close contacts "breathing space".
"From March 2020 here in The Rustic Inn our priority has been one thing, keeping staff and customers safe," said owner, Ed McGoey.
"Currently we have a number of staff who are deemed close contacts and are awaiting pcr tests, and results, and regardless will have to isolate for five days at least. To ensure we can facilitate these full isolation times we need to reduce our operations."
From Thursday, December 30, the restaurant is offering a take out menu only for ten days "to give all staff the breathing space they may need".
"Our full menu will be available from 3pm to 8.30pm every day. The front bar will be open while we can with strict social distancing. We intend to re open fully on Saturday January 8th.
"We are currently trying to contact reservations to let them know. We don’t take this decision lightly and it is with a very heavy heart but public health is our ONLY priority."