The Water Tower Grill & Bar in Lethbridge (Photo: Water Tower Grill & Bar)

By Justin Goulet

Water Tower Grill clearing up confusion following staff member exposure to COVID-19 last month

Aug 7, 2020 | 11:39 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The owner of Lethbridge’s Water Tower Grill & Bar hopes the public can still enjoy their experience at the local eatery.

On July 20, the restaurant had to close after it was found that an employee had been in contact with a positive COVID-19 case.

Owner Ram Khanal told LNN that because employees sometimes work between the Water Tower and his two other restaurants, the Telegraph Taphouse and the Picture Butte Hotel, all three eateries had to close. Following a thorough cleaning and sanitization process, the three locations reopened July 28.

“All of the employees tested negative [for COVID] and now we’re back to work,” Khanal said.

However, he remarked that he’s found some members of the public aren’t too keen on eating at the Water Tower, due to concerns following last month’s temporary closure.

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“Everyone is so scared that we still do have COVID, [even though] we didn’t have [a confirmed case of] COVID, we just had exposures. Because of that, our business has gone 70 percent down, even less than what we had back in May,” Khanal said.

“We have mitigated the risk and we are back to business, so this time if we don’t get support, we’re not going to survive as a business.”

Khanal emphasized that none of his employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and there may have been some initial confusion when the restaurants temporarily closed last month.

He added that as an extra precaution, three employees who tested negative but live in an area of Lethbridge where many cases have been reported, remain at home.

“It is kind of a risk for them to come back to work, so we have mitigated the risk as much as we could knowingly,” he said.

In all, Khanal said 72 employees were impacted by the temporary closures. All employees were tested.

“All of them [tests] were negative but three of them are still at home because their family member still has it [COVID].”

A welcome back message and updates from staff are available via the Water Tower Grill & Bar’s website.