County Durham pubs voluntarily close after cases linked to site
A total number of eight positive coronavirus tests have been linked to the Stanley Empire Club through NHS Test & Trace.
The site was ordered to close by Public Health England while other establishments in the town - the Phoenix Club, the Ball Alley, East Stanley Working Men’s Club and Stanley Empire Working Men’s Club - decided to close of their own accord.
Pubs nearby have also encouraged customers to stay away if they made visits to pubs in the Stanley area earlier this month.
Anyone who visited the Empire Club on 9,10 or 11 August has been asked to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of their visit by PHE.
PHE has also asked people to get a test for Covid-19 if they start showing symptoms of the virus and to continue to self-isolate regardless of the result. Households must also self-isolate if a test comes back positive.
Anyone who visited the Stanley Empire Club on 9, 10 or 11 August is reminded to self-isolate for 14 days and to get a test if symptoms develop. 4 more people have tested positive, bringing the total number of linked positive cases to 8.
— Durham County Council (@DurhamCouncil) August 17, 2020
Read more: https://t.co/IZgSZ8BrCIpic.twitter.com/ORfag7G5h2
Director of public health for County Durham Amanda Healy thanked local venues for their cooperation and help raising awareness of the potential link.
She said: "We would like to thank people in Stanley for working with us in recent days, in particular the Empire Club and other venues.
"Local residents have really helped us raise awareness of the need for anyone who visited the club to self-isolate and we know of people who are following this advice as a result."
Avoiding local lockdown
Healy added: "It is really important that we all do everything we can to reduce further transmission for the benefit of people's health and also the local economy in terms of ensuring residents and businesses do not need to undergo any form of local lockdown."
People are also being advised to take a coronavirus test if they show symptoms and to continue to self-isolate regardless of the result.
Nearby pub, the Causey Arch Inn, near Beamish, asked individuals to not visit their site if they had been to a pub in Stanley recently and sent best wishes to the closed sites.
The pub wrote on Facebook: “The Causey Arch team is trying really hard to make the place a safe environment for our staff and customers, can we just say if you have visited our neighbouring pubs and clubs in Stanley recently please do not visit us in order to maintain the safety of us all.
“We’d like to wish all affected a speedy recovery and hope their businesses are up and running again soon.”
A poster campaign has been launched in the town and surrounding areas to raise community awareness about the link to the pub as well as safety reminders on how to be protected from coronavirus.
Healy added: "It is vital to remember that the power to protect our loved ones, friends and neighbours lies in all of our hands. If we all follow the simple steps of Hands, Face, Space – washing our hands often for 20 seconds, covering our face in public buildings and staying two metres apart when possible – then we will all be doing our bit to halt the spread of this virus.
"Coronavirus could hit any of us, but by working together to stay safe we can limit its impact."
Pubs across the country have closed briefly in order for local health officials to investigate confirmed cases of the virus.
