This story was updated Friday, Dec. 6 at 3:35 p.m. with a statement from Faccia Luna Pizzeria. The story was updated again Thursday, Dec. 12 with an update from the Borough of State College and Faccia Luna Pizzeria.
Faccia Luna, a long-time Italian restaurant in State College is back open after dozens of people say they got sick eating there. The state health department said norovirus caused the outbreak.
Dozens of people posted on the “Foodies of State College” Facebook group, saying they got sick after eating there over the weekend.
The restaurant then closed for three days. According to local media reports, the owners did not have enough staff to open since several of them were sick. Plus, the state health department directed the restaurant to do a deep clean.
In a social media post to the Foodies of State College Group, Faccia Luna said they spent all day on Wednesday to sanitize and clean the restaurant.
"We deeply regret the unfortunate situation that occurred and are committed to maintaining a safe and enjoyable dining experience for everyone," the post read.
Faccia Luna's owners say they are reimbursing anyone who ate at the restaurant during the outbreak.
The restaurant reopened Thursday, Dec. 5. Friday, Dec. 6, the state’s department of health said laboratory evidence confirmed the outbreak was caused by norovirus, not food poisoning.
Norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea and foodborne illness in the country, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC says it’s very contagious. It can be spread through contaminated surfaces. People with norovirus can spread it for two weeks or longer, even after symptoms improve.
The state health department said it is still investigating what led to the outbreak and to determine how many people were affected.
"The Borough of State College is continuing to coordinate with the Department of Health Epidemiology Department to conduct interviews of patrons and staff to further investigate the potential source of this outbreak," said Kayla Lafferty, the communications specialist for the borough.
