A restaurant was forced to close after a customer walked in, ordered her lunch – and then allegedly told the waitress she had coronavirus.
The woman, wearing a surgical face mask, called into Le Boulevard bistro in Southport earlier today.
The eatery, inside the Cambridge Arcade, prides itself on its local cuisine, seafood and healthy fayre, as well as being vegetarian friendly.
As the town’s top rated restaurant on TripAdvisor, they are famed for their warm welcome towards customers.
Le Boulevard owner Stephen Abbott said: “This woman came in, ordered food and then told my waitress she had the virus. I gave her her money back and told her to go.
“I closed immediately after and we are undergoing a deep clean.
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“She was only in for a matter of 10 minutes but we are all shocked.”
The customer came in before the busy lunchtime service, which swiftly had to be cancelled, costing money that the established independent business can ill afford.
Stephen said: “She kept saying to my waitress ‘don’t touch me, don’t touch me’ at which point my waitress asked ‘why are you saying this?’ Her response was that she has the virus.
“My waitress then informed me, as to which point I gave her her money back, told her of her responsibilities if she did have the virus, and to leave. We then did a thorough deep clean and shut. Another deep clean in the morning to follow.
“People need to be more aware.”
