The company’s management made the decision earlier this week, initially to be closed during the week but yesterday it had decided to extend that to weekends as well.
The chocolate company operated public tours through its factory and also sold some of its product through its on-site retail store.
The risk of the site becoming a location of interest and having to close the whole operation was too much, Ocho’s general manager Angela Howell said.
"We would be in big trouble because everyone would have to go home so there would be no-one to make chocolate."
If the site was just a retail outlet, it probably would not have closed, she said.
The company was trying to create a "bubble" in the factory.
Group visits had also stopped and Ocho was meeting its suppliers virtually.
The aim of the closure was to protect the company’s eight staff members and to ensure chocolate could still be sent out to Ocho’s retailers.
"We are trying to limit our exposure to Omicron."
The company could not afford to stay closed for two or three weeks if staff needed to isolate, Ms Howell said.
Stocks were still quite low after the Christmas rush and the factory was busy trying to build that back up again.
"If we’d been able to build that stock up by now, we’d be in a different position so it is a combination of factors."
The company hoped to reopen its doors to the public in about six weeks, but the closure would be reviewed weekly.
"We’ll just have to look forward to welcoming people back then," Ms Howell said.
