WESTFIELD — A local restaurant was closed for four days this month after receiving an unsatisfactory rating from the Westfield Regional Health Department.
WESTFIELD — A local restaurant was closed for four days this month after receiving an unsatisfactory rating from the Westfield Regional Health Department.
According to information provided during Monday night’s board of health meeting, Spice Bazaar, an Indian restaurant located on Elm Street, was temporarily shut down after health officials found numerous violations related to unsanitary conditions and an elevated risk of food-borne illnesses.
“They had installed a mini-bar room without submitting plans to us,” Health Inspector Giselle Alfaro said, adding that the restaurant, which came under fire for similar violations last year, has since transitioned to a “conditionally satisfactory” status after addressing “the bulk” of the department’s most critical concerns.
Spice Bazaar has since re-opened and will be subject to further review by the department going forward.
The board also discussed recent federal budget cuts that stripped approximately $28 million from heath departments across the state.
“The key takeaway is that none of our core programs will be impacted,” Assistant Health Officer Nicole Rondon said, adding that the department has “reassigned” certain employees to new roles to ensure that essential services like vaccinations, long-term-care programs and community outreach are not interrupted.
“We’re still doing the work. We’ve just got some added responsibilities within the department,” she said. “We’re doing what we can with less.”
Ms. Rondon, who filled in for Health Officer Megan Avallone on Monday, said that respiratory illnesses like Covid-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) are becoming less prevalent now that the warmer weather has returned.
“As of right now, we’ve got low levels nationally and at the local level, so that’s good,” she said, adding that residents should continue to take precautions against airborne illnesses whenever possible.
The next meeting of the Westfield Board of Health is scheduled to be held at 5:30 p.m. on Monday, June 2, in the council chambers of the town hall.
