Coronavirus: Twelve people test positive after graduation party at a pub
Social gatherings of more than six people are to be banned in England from Monday, as COVID-19 infections rise among young people.
Wednesday 9 September 2020 14:37, UK
Twelve people have tested positive for coronavirus after a graduation party at a pub in Nottinghamshire.
The Royal Oak in Watnall said the customers had tested positive for COVID-19 following the party which took place in the pub's annex on Saturday 29 August.
In a statement posted on Facebook, the pub said: "As you are aware, we took the voluntary decision to close our doors due to the local outbreak.
"We have now carried out two deep cleans of the pub in the last 48 hours on top of our usual daily cleaning and sanitisation.
"All chairs, doors, handles, toilets, machines and surfaces have been cleaned with sanitiser that specifically states it kills coronavirus."
The pub has since reopened.
Following the outbreak, John Gribbin, director of Public Health Nottinghamshire, has warned people about the dangers of mixing with more than one household and how easily the virus can spread by not social distancing.
"What we are seeing on a daily basis is outbreaks in varying sizes and one is in relation to a party at a pub," he said.
"We are concerned about any setting where multiple households are coming together and undermine the importance of adhering to all the guidance.
"I want to remind young people that the people they might end up exposing to the virus are friends and family and the consequences might be more serious for the community they live in and the jobs that people depend on."
The warning comes as a ban on groups of more than six people gathering in homes, parks, pubs and restaurants in England is being imposed by Boris Johnson in the biggest coronavirus crackdown since lockdown rules were eased.
From next Monday, any gatherings of more than six people in England will be illegal, unless it meets one of a limited list of exemptions.
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Elsewhere, Health Secretary Matt Hancock affirmed earlier today that it will be compulsory for pubs and restaurants to take customers' details for the Test and Trace programme.