Coronavirus: Two more West Yorkshire pubs close after positive tests

Two more pubs in West Yorkshire have closed after customers tested positive for coronavirus.

The Angel and Boot and Shoe, both in Ackworth, near Wakefield, said they were closed for deep cleaning but planned to reopen on Friday.

The pubs closed after being contacted by a customer who said they had tested positive for Covid-19, the council.

Wakefield Council said the risk of the virus being passed on to other people visiting the pubs was low.

It comes after a number of pubs across England, were forced to close earlier this week after the return of customers on what was dubbed "Super Saturday" - one of the pubs, the Fox and Hounds in Batley, has told the BBC it will reopen from this evening.

The Angel pub in Ackworth has closed for deep cleaning

Boot and Shoe said a customer who was at the pub on Saturday afternoon had tested positive, and they were currently working with NHS contact tracers to get in touch with anyone who was there at the time.

The landlady's son, Jamie Merrill, said: "It's been a very stressful three months, financially it's been very difficult. We managed to get the business back up and running and open and it's disappointing to be faced now with closing tonight.

"Losing one day's trade is difficult but hopefully we can get reopen tomorrow and back to business as normal, or as normal as possible."

Mr Merrill said a deep clean was being carried out and all staff had been tested, with the pub due to open on Friday "depending on the test results".

The Angel, on the same street, said a customer who had been in the pub between 20:00 and 22:00 BST on Saturday had called to report testing positive for the virus.

It said it was in contact with Wakefield Council and was carrying out a deep clean.

The message read: "All our staff who were working that night have been informed of the best guidance to follow, whether this be testing or isolation."

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Anna Hartley, director of public health at Wakefield Council, said: "We have been made aware that a man who visited two pubs in Ackworth has tested positive for Covid-19.

"We would like to reassure residents, that given the timescales, the risk of the virus being passed on to other people visiting the pubs is low, we are not aware of any further cases at this time."

"We have been in touch with pubs to advise them on the latest government guidance on cleaning procedures and social distancing. And we are working with the NHS test and trace system to identity those who may have been in contact with the person."

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