Diners ejected from restaurant after staff member tests positive for Covid

Diners in a popular Scottish holiday town restaurant were asked to leave after an announcement that a staff member had tested positive for Covid-19.

The restaurant in Oban was forced to close

A sign on the door of Gelatoburger in Oban yesterday said it would remain closed while other staff are tested for the virus. The owners issued an apology on Facebook after several customers revealed they had not been asked for their contact details, as required under the Track and Trace system.

A statement from one of the company directors said they were saddened to hear this as they had been operating the Track and Trace system and adhering to Government guidelines to help control the pandemic.

The statement added: “We are dreadfully sorry some customers appear not (to have) been asked.

“We can only apologise and, as a result, we are going to review our procedure to make it easier for our staff to obtain customer details,” the statement said.

Oban man Kevin Scott’s daughter was among the diners suddenly asked to leave the restaurant on Thursday afternoon.

Mr Scott said: “She went in with four friends but she wasn’t even away half an hour and phoned me crying and was distraught.”

A spokeswoman for Argyll and Bute Council confirmed the person who tested positive was isolating at home and that no other cases of illness had been reported in staff members. The spokeswoman added: “The national guidance for contact tracing has been followed and, following this, a number of staff members have been identified as close contacts and have been advised to self-isolate for 14 days.

Health and Social Care Partnership met yesterday to further risk assess the situation.