Crackers closes for cleaning; SHA says karaoke not a risk factor in investigation

Crackers Restaurant is closing its doors temporarily, as the facility gets a deep clean following a late-Sunday warning of a COVID-19 exposure from the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA).

The Saskatoon restaurant announced its closure in a Facebook post just after 10 a.m. Monday.

“The staff and management of Crackers would like to remind our customers that the health and safety of them and their families are of the highest priority,” the post said.

“We are working closely with the SHA to ensure all precautions are being taken. That being said, Crackers will be closed until further notice to sanitize and deep clean the space. We greatly appreciate everyone’s understanding and patience as we deal with this very difficult issue.”

650 CKOM reached out to Crackers but did not receive a response at the time of publishing.

The restaurant is known to be a hotspot for karaoke in Saskatoon, but according to the SHA, that didn’t seem to be an issue.

In a prepared, emailed statement to 650 CKOM, the SHA said it’s continuing to investigate the outbreak, including contact tracing and reviewing protocols.

It offered a statement on karaoke as well.

“We remind the public that karaoke and dance floors are closed under the provincial public health order. The investigation has determined that these were not risk factors in this specific outbreak,” the emailed statement reads.

Sunday night’s announcement from the SHA described the situation at the establishment as a “potential super-spreader event.”

The contact tracing investigation has identified 16 positive cases as of Monday, with “significant risk” for potential second-generation spread.

“Individuals who were at this location must immediately self-isolate for 14 days following the date of exposure. Call HealthLine 811, your physician or nurse practitioner if you develop symptoms; you may develop symptoms from two to 14 days following exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19,” the release states.

The exposure risk has been identified between the dates of Dec. 23 and Jan. 4.

Crackers Restaurant is located at 227 Pinehouse Dr., just east of the Lawson Heights Mall.