YORKTOWN, Va. — Just three weeks after the Peninsula Health District warned about a possible hepatitis A exposure at two Newport News restaurants, they've released another warning, this time in Yorktown.
Officials issued an alert Thursday about an employee at Ginny's Restaurant on George Washington Memorial Highway in Yorktown who was recently diagnosed with Hepatitis A.
People who consumed food or drinks from Ginny's on August 22, 23, 28, 29 and Sept. 4 could have been exposed to Hepatitis A.
Nancy Lemis with the Hampton Health Department said everyone should get vaccinated and it's free.
"You can get Hepatitis A by sharing utensils, drinking after somebody, kissing somebody, smoking cigarettes, just living in the same household because you are sharing close confines," said Lemis.
Ginny's shared this through a post on its Facebook page:
In the spirit of complete transparency, Ginny’s would like to share that we have had a previous employee (dishwasher) test positive for Hepatitis A. As the news outlets have reported, it was not caused by the food served at Ginny’s. Ginny’s has always maintained the highest standards for food preparation and safety, and we are cooperating fully with the health department regarding this matter. Additionally, we have always maintained an “A” health rating from the health department. There have also been no reports of anyone contracting Hepatitis at Ginny’s as a result of this. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to give us a call. We recognize that this may cause concern for some of our customers, but we assure you that we have acted in an abundance of caution and taken all necessary steps to ensure that Ginny’s continues to serve quality food in a safe, clean, comfortable environment.
The health district warns that any individuals who had not been previously vaccinated or have never had Hepatitis A infection are susceptible to the disease and could be at risk if they ate or drank anything from the restaurant on those dates.
The vaccine could benefit those who were exposed to the disease if it's received within two weeks from the date of exposure.
On August 28, the Peninsula Health District issued a previous alert for Hepatitis A exposure at two Newport News restaurants.
Hepatitis A is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. It can be spread by direct contact with another person who has the infection, by consuming contaminated food or drink, or by touching surfaces that have been contaminated with the virus.