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"I received an urgent PSA that someone who attended the bar the week before St. Patrick’s Day has tested positive for COVID-19; anyone who visited Murphy’s Grand Irish Pub on March 10, March 14, or March 15 is advised by the Alexandria Health Department to self-quarantine immediately. The person who tested positive is not an Alexandria resident, and officials and the bar would not say whether the case involves a Murphy’s employee; health investigators say any known close contacts have already been notified, and the public notice is intended to reach any other unknown contacts as Alexandria’s case count stood at 14. A family-owned fixture in Old Town since 1978, Murphy’s is known for a long list of domestic and imported micro-brews and hearty Irish fare like shrimp Killarney, fish and chips, and meat and potato pie, and it’s a go-to gathering ground for sports fans (it had awarded trivia winners a pair of lower-level seats to a Capitals–Blackhawks game set for March 14 before the NHL suspended play). The pub was closed through Sunday, March 29 for deep cleaning and sanitizing, and Murphy’s said it will reboot curbside pickup on Monday, March 30 offering $6 Irish stew bowls, burgers, and smoked salmon at lunch and dinner; Virginia enacted a 30-day dine-in ban starting March 24 while allowing takeout and delivery." - Tierney Plumb