Jack In The Box closes due to illness

Expected to reopen today, closure voluntary

MOSES LAKE - Jack In The Box in Moses Lake closed for approximately a week due to employee illness.

The establishment was expected to reopen today, said company spokesperson Kathleen Anthony.

Anthony said nine employees reportedly caught a norovirus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, noroviruses cause stomach flu or gastroenteritis. Symptoms include nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramping and vomiting.

"We had several employees come down ill, so as a precaution we decided to close down the restaurant," Anthony said.

The restaurant closed because of the number of ill employees, and allow it to be sanitized. Open food was discarded, she said.

Grant County Health District Administrator Peggy Grigg said she was impressed by Jack In The Box's initiative to close.

"Jack In the Box was very proactive when they had nine people call in sick," Grigg said.

The restaurant is ensuring no employees come to work until they are symptom-free for 72 hours, she noted.

No illnesses were reported as a result of customers eating at the establishment, she said.

Grigg noted no food handled by employees who called in sick will be served. The establishment discarded food the employees might have handled, she added.

"They closed voluntarily, and they did visit with health district staff, and health district staff have been over there and feel like they have been very proactive in addressing the concerns that they themselves have identified," Grigg said.

The health district did not expect to conduct lab tests regarding the reported illnesses.