Huckleberry Restaurant was in the middle of its afternoon tea service when management made the decision to temporarily suspend operations.

The fine dining restaurant at the Rosedon Hotel closed its doors after learning that a staff member had been exposed to the coronavirus, the hotel’s co-owner revealed.

Scott Kitson said: “We suspended operations Friday afternoon. We were advised that a staff member had been exposed, and we made the decision to shut down immediately.”

He added: “We wanted to be responsible and break the possible chain of contact.”

Mr Kitson said all 30 staff of the restaurant are isolating while management awaits further instructions from Government’s Covid-19 team.

He added that any staff who felt unsafe returning to their own residence, or those living in shared housing, have been accommodated on-property at Rosedon, where they will isolate and complete Covid-19 testing protocols.

Mr Kitson said the entire property will be deep-cleaned.

He said restaurant staff had been undergoing testing for the coronavirus even before the events of last Friday, adding that all tests had come back negative.

Mr Kitson said: “We have had no positive tests directly.”

He added that further testing began on Saturday.

He said restaurant management is working directly with government’s Covid-19 team.

Mr Kitson said: “We will do whatever government says. We have been transparent, and we think it is important to be transparent.

“We hope to re-open as soon as possible but we won’t do that unless and until we receive clearance from the Covid team.

“We are trying to do it the right way.”

Rosedon announced in June that it would close its hotel operation for the remainder of the year, effective July 1.

Management has estimated that the hotel will re-open in April 2021.