BILLERICA, Mass. – A Chipotle restaurant in Billerica temporarily closed its doors after an employee tested positive for Norovirus, according to published news reports. At least three other employees reported feeling sick.
The Billerica location was closed for a full sanitation operation. So far, there have been no reports of customers getting sick after eating at that restaurant.
The news comes as Chipotle works to recover from a series of foodborne illness outbreaks at some of its restaurants. In August 2015, a case of Norovirus at a Chipotle restaurant in Simi Valley, California, sickened 243 customers. The virus also sickened 143 diners in Boston in December. An outbreak of Salmonella at 22 restaurants in Minnesota and Wisconsin sickened 64 individuals; and an E. coli outbreak in 11 states in October and November sickened 60 individuals.
In response to the food safety issues, Chipotle developed stricter food safety protocols for its suppliers and launched a website, chipotle.com/foodsafety, which details the company’s news food safety procedures.
