Coronavirus: Wrexham Wetherspoon given improvement notice

The High Street pub originally opened as a bank in 1905

A pub has been served with a coronavirus improvement notice after three staff tested positive.

A subsequent Wrexham council probe showed social distancing measures in place but a "lack of adherence to the guidelines in staff areas" at the North and South Wales Bank pub.

Owner JD Wetherspoon said it was "disappointing" that its procedures "were not followed on this occasion".

"All employees will be retrained," said a spokesperson.

It had asked workers to self isolate when one employee tested positive after coming into contact with someone while not at work. Two others also later tested positive.

Dr Graham Brown, a consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, said: "While the positive cases that have been identified in this incident have been among the staff, and staff-customer interaction appears to have mostly followed social distancing requirements, there is still a small risk that customers could be affected.

"Anyone who was in the pub between 9-20 August 2020 and develops even mild symptoms should immediately self-isolate and get a test," he said.

Contacts of those who tested positive have already been notified.

Councillor Hugh Jones, lead member for public protection and community safety at Wrexham council, said: "While social distancing measures were in place and generally maintained when staff were dealing with customers, our investigation has shown that there was a lack of adherence to the guidelines in staff areas.

"In order to protect the public we served this notice.

"Every establishment must follow the rules to help keep Wrexham safe."

A spokesperson for JD Wetherspoon said it has "strict policies in place to ensure staff do not work in close proximity for anything other than very short periods of time, and, if such proximity cannot be avoided, that the necessary mitigating measures, such as the use of PPE, are implemented".