ESCANABA — In response to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic — including, in some cases, the presence of people who later tested positive for the disease — a number of local bars temporarily closed their doors this month.

“I have heard that some local establishments have chosen to close based on having information that a customer or employee had tested positive for COVID-19,” Public Health, Delta and Menominee Counties (PHDM) Health Officer Michael Snyder said.

PHDM did not order any local businesses to close in response to these findings. However, Snyder said PHDM contacts establishments where employees have tested positive for coronavirus.

“When we receive a positive result and we do a case investigation, we do contact the employer,” he said.

Snyder said customers who are found to have COVID-19 will often personally inform businesses they had visited of their diagnosis.

“Many times, the customer themselves will contact the facility where they went after receiving a positive result,” he said.

On Thursday, July 16, a post on the Facebook page for the Kipling Bar in Gladstone stated a customer there had tested positive for the COVID-19. The bar closed so a deep cleaning and additional sanitization could take place.

“We are trying to be proactive in our response to this. Sorry for any inconveniences this may cause, but we are doing this in the best interest of our employees and our great customers and friends,” the post read.

A similar post was made on the Facebook page for the Ore House Tavern in Escanaba on July 16.

Mugshots in Escanaba announced its own decision to close on Facebook the same day. To the bar’s knowledge, it had not had served any patrons who had been diagnosed with COVID-19; however, it closed as a precautionary measure and to do a deep cleaning.

“With the recent positive cases that have hit local bars and that we share a lot of the same customers, we need to close for the safety of our employees, customers and community,” the post read.

The bar re-opened with limited hours on Tuesday, July 28.

Chenier’s Reef in Escanaba closed for two weeks on July 16 out of concern for the health of its employees and customers, according to a post on the bar’s Facebook page.

A Facebook post was made by South City Pub of Escanaba on Monday, July 20 to announce it would be closed for about a week for extra cleaning and sanitization.

“We were contacted by the health department today, to inform us that we have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19, dating back to July 7th,” the post stated.

Earlier this week, the bar stated it would be operating on limited hours until further notice.

Also on July 20, the Swallow Inn in Rapid River took to Facebook to let customers know it would be closed until Friday, July 24 due to possible coronavirus exposure from out-of-state patrons on July 10. The bar was able to re-open last Friday.

If establishments follow the requirements included in Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s executive order — including at least six feet of separation between groups and the wearing of masks when people enter and leave businesses — Snyder said the threat of coronavirus infection is minimal for their patrons.

“There’s very little risk between customers for transmission of COVID-19,” he said.