Gino's Ristorante & Pizzeria Reopens Amid Hepatitis A Investigation That's Linked To 10 Cases, 3 Deaths
NORRISTOWN, Pa. (CBS) -- A Montgomery County restaurant reopened Monday following a hepatitis A investigation. Gino's Ristorante and Pizzeria closed on Jan. 7. Ten total cases are being reviewed and three people have died from the virus.
Gino's co-owner says he's spent the past two weeks deep cleaning the restaurant, from air vents to ovens, and has thrown away every food item inside so that Monday, he could know he's done all he could to safely welcome back his customers.
Inside Gino's Ristorante and Pizzeria, the glasses were full, the plates were empty and the patrons were excited to be back.
"Look at all these beautiful people near me, they're all my friends," customer Yolanda Diceiro said.
On Jan. 7, the popular family-owned restaurant that opened back in 1972 was forced to temporarily close following a hepatitis A investigation.
According to the Montgomery County Health Department, of the 10 confirmed cases, seven people were hospitalized and three have died.
While the source of the outbreak has not been confirmed, officials say they traced the virus to back to this site in late November but can't say if it was a worker or contaminated food product.
"My family is here at least once a week," customer Juanita Digrazio said. "We get food all the time here, it's wonderful. It's clean."
"It's tragic all the way around for everyone that's been affected," Gino's co-owner Giacomo Badalamenti said.
Badalamenti says he's been in constant communication with the health department since he was first alerted and spent the last two weeks deep cleaning.
"They flogged the entire facility, all the equipment, everything. Every ceiling tile came down, hand washed, sanitized. Every piece of equipment was sanitized," Badalamenti said.
Now he's focused on getting back. He, like many, is still left with so many questions.
"We also want answers also, for our safety, our customers' safety, our families," Badalamenti said. "We all have been tested and we just don't know."
As both state and county health officials continue to investigate this outbreak, they say there is no longer a threat to the public.