Dozens of lawyers and law students fell ill after attending a Feb. 27 banquet in Philadelphia, and the incident is now a suspected foodborne illness outbreak, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The city’s health department told the Inquirer it is not able to discuss details of the outbreak. The restaurant, Joy Tsin Lau, a dim-sum hotspot, reportedly has a history of food safety problems.
The restaurant’s owner said that the illnesses weren’t caused by their food.
A health inspection just two weeks prior to the banquet noted that the restaurant had “unacceptable public health or food-safety conditions.”
Several banquet attendees reported experiencing diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps for days after attending.
City health officials have reportedly not responded to requests for information about the investigation or whether or not the restaurant was forced to close at any time. They are citing a law from 1955 called the Pennsylvania Disease Prevention and Control Law, which prohibits health authorities from disclosing information on diseases.
On Thursday, a Los Angeles news station reported on a Salmonella outbreak that was kept under wraps by the Ventura County Health Department.