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.

The news comes a day after Scotland took tentative steps to reopening bars by allowing beer gardens to open on Monday.

Bars in England welcomed drinkers at the weekend after a lengthy lockdown which saw the hospitality sector shut since March.

Stock image. Drinkers in England were able to visit inside of pubs from Saturday. (Photo by Anselm Ebulue/Getty Images)

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."

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Joy Yates

Editorial Director

Several English pubs which reopened on Saturday have been forced to close due to positive Covid-19 tests

Comments