Many attendees of a Chamber of Commerce dinner in Redwood Shores walked away with food poisoning after the hotel at which they were dining apparently violated health codes. From the Examiner:
Laboratory tests revealed Thursday that 62 people attending a Redwood City-San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce event at Hotel Sofitel on Jan. 24 were infected with the highly contagious virus, said San Mateo County Director of Environmental Health Dean Peterson. About 200 people attended the annual dinner and awards reception banquet.
Health officials said those who fell ill contracted the virus through either the salmon or chicken, which was served as the evening’s main course. Nobody who chose the vegetarian entrée fell sick, Peterson said.
Inspectors found evidence that the Sofitel’s staff was re-using dirty towels to wipe down tables, food being kept too hot or too cold and a dishwasher who was touching clean dishes directly after touching dirty dishes, said Peterson, who added that hotel management immediately corrected the violations.
Gross. It seems pretty easy to transmit this particular infection, which causes vomiting, diarrhea, fever and abdominal pain. Even though almost all restaurants make a huge effort to ensure nothing like that ever happens, it’s always that one, isolated story, like this one, that makes you go, “ewww.”
It’s too bad that happened to a bunch of people in charge of furthering business interests in San Mateo County. We have a feeling the Hotel Sofitel isn’t going to be winning any chamber of commerce awards this year.
Diners contract norovirus at hotel [Examiner]
