A Chipotle restaurant in the Cleveland Circle area of Boston closed temporarily on Monday, after 80 Boston College students reported getting sick, likely from eating at the Mexican Grill. The number of students who visited the BC health services quickly rose to 120 on Tuesday, and then 141 on Thursday, according to the Boston Globe. Reuters confirmed that the outbreak had been caused by norovirus, a virus that can spread through food and causes severe vomiting and diarrhea. Infected individuals usually get better on their own within two to three days.
Almost all of the BC students who experienced symptoms consistent with norovirus had eaten Chipotle over the weekend. Identifying a pattern, the school alerted the city. According to the Boston Globe, a health inspector was sent to the restaurant, finding three violations to food safety: meat was not kept hot enough, an employee had come to work sick and customers seemed to suffer from food poisoning after eating at the location. The restaurant was closed for sanitation until further notice, as an emergency measure.
This is not the first time Chipotle has come under fire for spreading illness. An outbreak of E. coli, a more serious virus, affected patrons of the chain in at least nine states around the country (in places as diverse as Oregon, Illinois and Pennsylvania) just last month. Worse yet, this week’s incident was not unique: Chipotle food reportedly infected close to 100 people with norovirus in Simi Valley in August—Just innocent people tryna get their burrito fix. So what gives, Chipotle?
The company’s founder, Steve Ells, did apologize for the BC incident Thursday.
“This was a very unfortunate incident, and I am deeply sorry it happened,” he said on the Today show. “When we reopen, that restaurant will be completely sanitized and every single employee will be tested to assure they do not have the norovirus.”