photo by: Journal-World file photo

The Courtside Cafe on the lower level of KU's DeBruce Center.

Courtside Cafe, the food court located inside the DeBruce Center at the University of Kansas, will close through Sept. 28 after a part-time employee of KU Dining tested positive for COVID-19, the Journal-World has learned.

No patrons were in close enough contact with the worker to be considered high-risk for transmission of the virus, but they are being asked to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms just in case. Other employees at the Courtside Cafe were considered to be close contacts of the worker and must quarantine for 14 days, local contact tracers determined.

The cafe’s closure is due to short staffing as a result of quarantine requirements, not due to health concerns related to the facility itself.

KU Dining will use the extended closure as a chance to thoroughly clean the food court, the Kansas Union said in a news release announcing the positive case of COVID-19.

Operations at the DeBruce Center itself, as well as its coffee shop — which is separated from the food court — will not be affected.

The closure of Courtside Cafe is the first known closure on KU’s campus related to COVID-19 since the fall semester began Aug. 24.