Risk factors leading to COVID‐19 cases in a Sydney restaurant

Capon, Adam; Houston, Jody; Rockett, Rebecca; Sheppeard, Vicky; Chaverot, Sandra; Arnott, Alicia; Parashko, Tiana; Ferson, Mark

Objective: To explore the factors associated with the transmission of SARS‐CoV‐2 to patrons of a restaurant. Methods: A retrospective cohort design was undertaken, with spatial examination and genomic sequencing of cases. The cohort included all patrons who attended the restaurant on Saturday 25 July 2020. A case was identified as a person who tested positive to a validated specific Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) nucleic acid test. Associations were tested using chi‐squared analysis of case versus non‐case behaviours. Results: Twenty cases were epidemiologically linked to exposure at the restaurant on 25 July 2020. All cases dined indoors. All cases able to be genomic sequenced were found to have the same unique mutational profile. Factors tested for an association to the outcome included attentiveness by staff, drink consumption, bathroom use and payment by credit card. No significant results were found. Conclusion: Indoor dining was identified as a key factor in SARS‐CoV‐2 transmission, and outdoor dining as a way to limit transmission. Implications for public health: This investigation provides empirical evidence to support public health policies regarding indoor dining.