TORONTO -- A drag performer and a customer have tested positive for COVID-19 at a popular bar in Toronto’s Gay Village.
On Sept. 18, a customer attended Crews & Tangos, at Church and Wellesley streets, between the hours of 8:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and then tested positive for the virus after their visit, according to an Instagram post from the bar late Friday night.
Crews & Tangos says the infected customer alerted them about their diagnosis via email on Sept. 23.
On Friday, the bar was notified that one of its performers also tested positive for the virus. Her last performance was on Sept. 18.
Crews & Tangos is urging all customers who visited the bar between Sept. 18 and Sept. 20 to get tested for COVID-19.
“Although this customer may have been unaware that a testing would result in a positive COVID-19 outcome, there was no way for us to know beyond the prevention measures we have in place at the moment,” read the statement on Instagram.
“We take these matters seriously and will have to close our doors for 4-5 days to do the necessary things to ensure the safety of our staff, patrons and anyone that walks through our doors.”
The bar says customers who made reservations for this weekend will be offered a refund.
Before reopening, the bar says their entire staff will be tested before returning back to work and the bar will be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized.
The bar says it will also continue to enforce social distancing and adapt new alternatives to keep the bar clean.
The positive cases come after the province announced new rules regarding alcohol sales on Friday.
As of 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, all bars, restaurants and nightclubs in Ontario will be required to stop serving alcohol by 11 p.m., and close their doors entirely by midnight, except for takeout and delivery.
The province also ordered all strip clubs to close their doors temporarily by Saturday.
"I think the vast majority of restaurant owners, they have been responsible but there have been outbreaks and we have to be proactive," Premier Doug Ford said at a news conference on Friday.
"I don't think it's the end of the world if people stop drinking at 11(p.m.)"
Ford did not say how long the new restrictions would stay in effect.
