At least 85 infected with coronavirus after outbreak at Michigan college bar

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Harper’s Restaurant & Brew Pub in East Lansing, Michigan.
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At least 85 people in Michigan have tested positive for the coronavirus after an outbreak at a popular college bar, health officials said.

The cases are all linked to Harper’s Restaurant and Brew Pub, near Michigan State University’s campus in Lansing, the Ingham County Health Department said Saturday.

Eighty of the infections were people who went to the watering hole, while the others were people exposed to customers from the bar, the Lansing State Journal reported.

Of those infected, 23 are asymptomatic, according to the report.

Anyone who went to the bar between June 12 and June 22 has been asked to self-quarantine for 14 days from the date of their visit.

The bar had welcomed packed crowds upon reopening earlier this month — with photos showing shoulder-to-shoulder lines out the door, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Harper’s acknowledged on its Facebook page that it had been unable to enforce social distancing outside of the bar.

“We have attempted to instruct customers waiting in line to wear face coverings and practice social distancing through signage on the public sidewalk and with a banner on our railing,” the bar wrote on Facebook.

“Our oversight of the line on our stairs has been successful, but trying to get customers to follow our recommendations on the public sidewalk has been challenging.”

The bar said it has since closed in order to “devise a strategy that eliminates the lines altogether” — as well as install air purifying technology inside.

“When we have finished implementing these two strategies, we will have the most state-of-the-art neighborhood venue for you to visit safely,” the bar said.