MGN Online It’s the weekend, and that means there are a lot of people enjoying bars and restaurants downtown. With that said, it also means more opportunities for germs to spread with so many sickened by the recent wave of flu cases. More: Flu activity increases across nation, tips to avoid getting sick The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say this year’s flu season is one of the most intense they’ve seen in years. And with the influx of people visiting Southwest Florida and wanting to enjoy the restaurants, places like Bruno’s of Brooklyn in downtown Fort Myers are taking extra precautions. “This is a mom and pop shop and we love to interact with people. We’re always talking and this and that, so we’re always within distance of a contamination,” said owner Cal Bruno. Bruno says his staff always wears gloves when handling food. All dishes, pots and pans also go through an intense sanitation process. “This basically kills one thousand percent of anything that’s on the dish,” Bruno said. “This is something that the health inspectors—this is the first thing they check so everybody needs to be doing that.” He adds that he’s had reservations fall through because of the flu. And if any member of his staff shows a symptom, they’re off for three days. “We don’t want to get sick ourselves and we don’t want to get anyone else sick, so at the first sign of anybody sniffling or coughing or anything like that—we have to give mandatory time off,” Bruno said. The best tip to battle the flu is wash your hands thoroughly, and always avoid touching your nose and mouth.