Chipotle temporarily closed all of its establishments from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. February 8 to hold a meeting with the staff to discuss food safety.

This announcement came amid the recent E.coli incidents that have been affecting variety of Chipotle’s establishment across the nation.

Samantha Dunkle, a Chipotle employee, explained that when the E.coli incident first broke news her management took precaution.

“Our managers took the situation very serious and ensured we all followed corporate protocols,” Dunkle said. “New standards were created to ensure food is always prepared correctly and safely.”

Escherichia coli or more commonly known as E.coli is a bacterium that is commonly found in the intestines of humans and is usually harmless, but some strains can result in highly severe food sickness.

Since October of last year, Chipotle has been dealing with cases of E.coli associated with its food and approximately 500 individuals have gotten sick with the bacterium. Most of the cases of E.coli were first reported in the Northwest.

Blake Kinsel, a senior chemistry major, feels that although the outbreak merited some concern, that it was blown out of proportion by the coverage it received. “There were no deaths recorded from the outbreak and Chipotle is undergoing mandatory food safety measures today during the shut down,” Kinsel said. “I think it’s a tad bit of an overreaction to say that every Chipotle is going to give me E.coli.”

Junior architecture major, Austin Gehalo came earlier to the Chipotle on East Main street, but was disappointed to find the establishment closed. Although reports of the E.coli outbreaks were concerning, Gehalo still prefers to eat there.

Chipotle, in an attempt to regain the public’s trust, is offering a free burrito to those who text “raincheck” to 888-222. This decision comes as a way to compensate those who were going to eat at Chipotle during its mandatory close down.

Angelo Angel is an entertainment reporter.