Health officials: Sconni’s customers, employees not at high risk of coronavirus exposure

By Shereen Siewert

Customers and employees at Sconni’s Alehouse and Eatery in Schofield were not at high risk of exposure to COVID-19 after an employee tested positive for the virus, health officials said Tuesday.

Marathon County Health Dept. Public Information Officer Judy Burrows said the employee’s last day of work was before the infectious period began. The employee tested positive on Monday, July 6, and Sconni’s owner Ben Swanson immediately closed the restaurant and shared the news on Facebook.

The closure is temporary, but Sconni’s will focus solely on outdoor dining and curbside pickup when the restaurant reopens, Swanson said, in a joint news release with health officials.

Patrons do not need to seek testing based on the current situation, Burrows said.

Sconni’s, 1239 Schofield Ave., opened at the end of May with reduced tables to ensure social distancing. The restaurant also required staff to wear masks and provided hand sanitation for both staff and patrons. Much of the pool hall area remained closed.

“At this point, we haven’t decided on a reopening date but feel it’s best to finish our deep clean and get a few things dialed in with additional outdoor dining,” Swanson said. “We’ve been trying to stay proactive at every turn here at Sconni’s and will continue to be diligent in our efforts to minimize the risks to our community at large.”