- At least 80 employees tested positive for COVID-19 at In-N-Out Burger stores in Colorado.
- The locations, in Aurora and Colorado Springs, opened last month.
- “Our thoughts and prayers are with our associates and we hope for a speedy recovery for each of those affected,” said Denny Warnick, vice president of operations at In-N-Out, in a statement provided to Insider.
- Sick employees will be paid for missed shifts, the company said.
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In-N-Out Burger, the iconic fast-food chain with cult followers, opened its first two locations in Colorado last month. Both quickly became the scene of COVID-19 outbreaks, with 80 employees now sick and another 25 suspected of having the disease.
The new location in Colorado Springs was the first to be hit, according to the Department of Public Health and Environment, with an outbreak confirmed on December 6 – just over two weeks after starting serving hamburgers and fries in 20 from November. Sixty employees are confirmed to have COVID-19, with nine other cases considered “probable”.
The other In-N-Out location in Colorado, on Aurora, had a confirmed outbreak on December 17; at least 20 employees have COVID-19 and another 16 are considered infected.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with our associates and we hope for a speedy recovery for each of those affected,” said Denny Warnick, vice president of operations at In-N-Out, in a statement provided to Insider. He noted that employees who tested positive for coronavirus, as well as those who were in close contact with them, “were excluded from the workplace.”
All employees have their temperatures checked before each shift.
Kathleen Luppi, a spokeswoman for the company, told Insider that it will continue to pay those who cannot work.
“Whether a Colorado employee is excluded from work because he has a positive test or because he has been in contact with someone who did, he is being paid for his missed shifts,” she said.
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