Aurora Panera Employee Gets Coronavirus, Bakery Reopens Next Day

AURORA, IL — An employee at a Panera Bread location in Aurora tested positive Tuesday for the coronavirus, according to company officials. The restaurant where the employee works — at 1330 N. Orchard Road — was cleaned overnight, officials said, and reopened at its usual time Wednesday morning.

The employee who tested positive will quarantine for 14 days, along with other employees who were in close contact with them, said Eve Metheny, who serves as the director of brand marketing for Hamra Enterprises, a franchisee of Panera.

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Metheny said in an email Wednesday that the company "immediately informed our customers and employees" after learning of the confirmed coronavirus case.

Hamra Human Resources Manager Aaron Einhorn sent an email Tuesday to staff members of that location about the positive test, but it is unclear where the company publicly announced the confirmed case.

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The restaurant reopened after a cleaning company disinfected it overnight, and employees will have their temperatures monitored and wear masks, as they have been doing throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Metheny said. Employees will continue to follow guidelines set by the Illinois Department of Public Health, she added.

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