Posted on Tuesday 29th June 2021
A bar in Tamworth has been closed temporarily, due to the ongoing risk of Covid-19 spreading in the town.
Tamworth Sports Bar has been served a temporary closure order, after several positive Covid-19 cases were linked to the venue.
The closure order is in force from this afternoon and will last initially 48 hours, following concerns about social distancing at the venue. The bar made the voluntary decision to close at lunchtime today (Tuesday 29 June).
It follows a sharp rise in cases in Tamworth. The seven-day rate for the town now stands at 318 per 100,000 population, more than double the Staffordshire and England rates, with rises being seen in the community and local schools.
Positive cases have been linked to people who attended the bar for the England v Scotland football match and over the following weekend. Anyone who was in the premises or the beer garden on the evening of Friday 18, Saturday 19 or Sunday 20 June are being asked to get a PCR test.
Dr Richard Harling, Director for Health and Care at Staffordshire County Council:
“Cases in Tamworth have risen rapidly and are continuing to rise, so we must do everything we can to stop the spread and bring cases down quickly.
“This is not a decision that has been taken lightly. The outbreak in Tamworth is mainly among the 18-34 age group, who are likely to go out and drink especially when there is an England game on. With the majority of cases being the Delta Variant, having lots of people mixing would give a good opportunity for the virus to spread.
“We know that this will be disappointing for many people, but we have to stop further infections if we are going to get this outbreak under control.”
Leader of Tamworth Borough Council, Jeremy Oates, said:
“The sharp rise of Covid-19 cases in Tamworth is a stark reminder that the virus still poses a very real threat to our communities.
“This was not an easy decision to make but the safety of our residents must take priority as we look to quickly halt the spread of infection and bring case rates down in the area. To do this, we all need to work together so please follow the rules, take extra caution when mixing with those outside of your household, and please book a PCR test if you visited the sports bar during the weekend of 18, 19, 20 June.”
People can book a PCR test at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. Walk-in PCR tests are also available at the Robert Peel Community Hospital car park, 9am to 5pm, until Monday 5 July.