Pubs forced to close days after reopening due to coronavirus cases

7 July 2020, 06:49 | Updated: 7 July 2020, 07:28

A number of pubs in England which reopened their doors for the first time on Saturday have had to close again due to people testing positive for coronavirus.

It comes after a host of lockdown restrictions were raised in England over the weekend, meaning that facilities including hairdressers, pubs and cafes could open for the first time in three months.

But three establishments have since alerted their patrons that they have had to close again just days later, after cases of Covid-19.

The Lighthouse Kitchen and Carvery in Burnham-on-Sea, Somerset, said a customer had tested positive and it was making its way through a list of people who were in the bar on Saturday.

In a statement posted on Facebook, it added: "All our staff are going to be tested and we will reopen when the time is safe to do so."

The Fox and Hounds in Batley, West Yorkshire, said it would be closed until further notice after receiving a call from a customer on Monday to say they had tested positive for coronavirus.

Posting on its Facebook page, it said all staff had since taken a test and added that the pub will be "fully deep cleaned and when safe to do so we will reopen our doors".

The Village Home Pub in Alverstoke, Gosport, said it had also "had a case of Coronavirus in the pub", adding that "some of us are in isolation".

Its statement on Facebook said: "The pub is now shut but all being well will open again on Saturday. Anyone who was in the pub over the weekend there is no need to isolate unless you show symptoms or are contacted direct by the trace group. Thank you and hope to see you soon."

The news comes after Boris Johnson has urged the public to "be sensible" and not to "stuff this up" on a trip to Yorkshire.

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The Prime Minister was speaking at a rail construction site in Yorkshire after joining people visiting the pub and getting a haircut over the weekend.

Boris Johnson said that although there were "some people who have been getting it wrong", most people "did the right thing" whilst out and about this weekend.

He urged the public to "enjoy ourselves safely" after pictures from the weekend showed revellers packed together on Saturday night.

During the visit, Mr Johnson said drinking and social distancing can mix "if people are sensible."

"Actually my evidence I've seen is yes - there have been some places where people have been imprudent and you can see there's been some people who have been getting it wrong," he said.

"But actually overwhelmingly over the weekend I think the people of this country did the right thing.

"If we can keep it up, if we can keep going in the way we are, maintain discipline, enjoy ourselves but enjoy ourselves safely, then we will continue to drive down this virus and we will be able to get back to life as close to normal as possible as fast as possible.

"But we cannot be complacent, we really can't afford to stuff this up, to blow it now."