Pub closes for two weeks and social club open for 'members only' after customer tests positive for Covid-19 in Houghton

The Free Gardeners on Front Street has confirmed it closed on Thursday, September 3, and will remain shut for 14 days.

Now the Glendale Social Club, in Hall Lane, has announce it will close to the general public but remain open to members after a customer who visited the establishment on Sunday later tested positive for Covid-19.

Free Gardeners pub boss Ray Minto said that a customer who visited the venue on Sunday, August 30, tested positive for coronavirus in the days after their visit.

The customer is said to have recently returned from holiday.

The pub – which is only open Thursday to Sunday – says it was then contacted the following day, Monday, August 31, by the customer who said test and trace told him to go for a test.

On Thursday, September 3, the pub was informed that the customer had tested positive for Covid-19.

The pub remains closed while a deep clean is carried out.

Manager Mr Minto, who has run the pub for 10 years, says he has also been tested and is waiting on the results.

Mr Minto, 44, said: “We have shut down for a deep clean after a customer who had been in on Sunday evening tested positive for Covid-19.

"We found out afterwards that he had come off holiday and then the customer contacted us to say that test and trace had been in touch and that he had to go for a test."He found out that he had tested positive on Thursday and since then we have remained closed and sent a text or Facebook message to customers to let them know.”

Also posting an update on Facebook, Glendale Social Club said they had been contacted after a customer who visited the establishment on Sunday, August 30, and sat in the concert hall had later tested positive for Covid-19.

After initially saying the pub would remain open, as deep cleans are carried out on a regular basis, they later announced only members would be able to visit the social club.

A spokesman said: “We have been told by Public Health England that as this was on Sunday and that more than 72 hours have passed, that the infection will no longer be present!

“We must stress though if you are showing symptoms, a new continuous cough, a high temperature or loss of smell or taste that you must self isolate and get tested!”

Later adding: “We have decided to go back to members only for the time being.

“If you are awaiting test results please be mindful and stay away.”

Burnside Working Men's Club has said it had also been visited a customer who tested positive, but that management had been reassured by health experts that enough time had passed that there was no longer any risk of infection, so they could remain open.

The Penshaw Catholic Social Club is also said to have made the decision to close over the weekend after a visitor tested positive for Covid-19.

The club has been contacted for comment.

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