Taipei restaurant ordered to close after diners fall ill

Taipei, Feb. 18 (CNA) A Shanghainese restaurant in Taipei's Shilin District was ordered to suspend operations on Wednesday after several diners were reported ill following a Lunar New Year's Eve meal.

The city's Department of Health said it received a report on Tuesday that eight people who ate at Shanghai Shanghai restaurant's Tianmu branch on Monday evening developed symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting the following morning.

Under current Taipei regulations, a business must suspend operations if six or more customers seek medical treatment for suspected food poisoning.

Inspectors who visited the site on Wednesday found multiple sanitation violations, including dirty refrigerators, rusted shelving, uncovered food in cold storage, uncovered trash bins, outdated registration information and a lack of required three-hour staff training records, the department said.

The restaurant must correct the problems by Saturday or face a fine ranging from NT$60,000 (US$1,907) to NT$200 million under the Act Governing Food Safety and Sanitation, according to the department.

The department added that the restaurant must complete staff training and submit improvement measures before it can reopen. Operating without approval could result in additional fines of NT$30,000 to NT$3 million.

In a statement posted on Facebook, the restaurant apologized and said it will fully cooperate with the health department's inspection and make the required improvements. It said it is investigating the cause of the reported illnesses and reviewing its internal procedures to ensure they meet regulations.

The restaurant also said it will make proper arrangements for customers who have made reservations and apologized for the inconvenience.