After the number of active COVID-19 cases in Gloucester spiked to 44, four local restaurants have chosen to close temporarily in order to test their employees and sanitize, according to Gloucester Daily Times.
City officials said that the uptick in cases was the result of a large gathering or social event, in addition to some isolated cases.
The Board of Health has been doing contact tracing and communicating with people who might have experienced exposure to limit any further spread of the virus.
Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken announced that the city will be offering free testing over the course of three days starting next week.
