Public health investigates hotel illness: Redwood Shores’ Sofitel shuts down kitchen for resanitizing

Multiple other events at the hotel led to more illnesses, bringing the total number of people with reported gastrointestinal symptoms to roughly 40 as of Monday, Nov. 3, said county Health System spokeswoman Robyn Thaw.

Thaw said the county’s communicable disease program staff and Environmental Health Services are still investigating the cause of the illness as is the California Department of Public Health. Lab results are expected back this week, Thaw said.

Initial investigations didn’t turn up any health code violations and Sandra Pinto Duhamel, Hotel Sofitel communication manager for North America, Central America and the Caribbean, said a retained epidemiologist said the symptoms indicate the possibility of norovirus being the cause.

Meanwhile, the hotel is disinfecting the property and has not served food from its kitchen since Oct. 30, Thaw said.

Duhamel said the hotel is acting out of “an abundance of caution” in shutting down food and beverage service until after proper resanitizing and cleaning as recommended by the epidemiologist.

“We understand and sympathize with any concern this has caused as the health of our guests is of the utmost importance to us,” Duhamel wrote in an email to the Daily Journal.

In January 2008, 62 people were sickened after a Redwood City-San Mateo County Chamber of Commerce event at the Hotel Sofitel. Health officials confirmed the source as norovirus and investigators later placed a violation on its record because a dishwasher did not wash his hands after touching dirty dishes and moving to the clean side, some food was not at the right temperature and wiping rags were not sanitized after each use. However, those officials said at the time there was no way to know for certain if the errors contributed to spreading the norovirus to three employees and 59 attendees.

michelle@smdailyjournal.com

(650) 344-5200 ext. 102