368 Diners May Be Sick After Eating At Ohio Chipotle: Reports

POWELL, OH — The number of people who may have gotten sick after eating at a local Chipotle has climbed to 368, according to reports. Sick diners, who ate at the restaurant between July 26 and July 30, have reportedly suffered from nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

The restaurant was closed Monday while officials began investigating what was happening at the restaurant, Fox 28 reported. The number of possibly impacted customers has risen to 368, ABC 7 said. Anyone who dined at the franchise and has gotten sick is being asked to contact Delaware County General Health District.

Chipotle's stock dropped 9 percent on Tuesday as news of customer sickness in Ohio began spreading.

“We acted quickly and closed this single restaurant out of an abundance of caution yesterday. We are working with the local health department and we plan to reopen this restaurant today,” Laurie Schalow, the company’s chief communications officer, told Reuters on Tuesday.

Chipotle has struggled to distance its company image from other illness outbreaks. Last year, in June 2017, more than 135 people got sick after eating at a Sterling, Virginia. Officials eventually determined that customers got sick after a sick employee reported to work.

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Photo from David Allen, Patch