The Edgartown board of health is monitoring reported cases of gastrointestinal illness in connection with private events held over the weekend on Chappaquiddick and at the Edgartown Reading Room. 

Both the Reading Room and the Edgartown Yacht Club voluntarily closed Tuesday for a period of 48 hours after ill staff exhibited symptoms consistent with norovirus, the board wrote in a statement released Wednesday. Martha’s Vineyard Hospital is conducting sample tests, but so far there have been no official confirmations of the virus, according to the board. 

Nevertheless, the board and the restaurant operators are working to mitigate potential further spread of any foodborne illness, monitoring the situation with Betsy VanLandingham, the Island’s public health nurse. 

Norovirus symptoms include nausea, vomit, diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Symptomatic food service staff have been instructed to remain home for 72 hours after symptoms subside and the restaurants are undergoing a deep cleaning and sanitization. 

The restaurant can resume normal operations after these intervention measures have been taken, according to the board of health. 

Norovirus is spread through direct contact with someone who is affected, as well as a contaminated food and beverage. Contaminated surfaces and shellfish can also cause the disease to spread. 

The virus can be mistaken for a stomach bug and often goes undiagnosed. Symptoms normally manifest between 12 and 48 hours after exposure and last for up to three days.

For prevention, the board of health recommended proper handwashing, thoroughly cooking food and keeping kitchen utensils and surfaces sanitized. 

The board is asking anyone with symptoms to stay home until 24 hours after vomiting stops or diarrhea improves. The board also said to wait 48 hours before handling food or caring for others.