North Derbyshire pub forced to close and miss 'Freedom Day' after customer tests positive for Covid-19

The Nag’s Head on Westthorpe Road in Killamarsh shut on Monday, July 12 following notification that a customer had contracted coronavirus after visiting the pub.

Almost all Covid-19 restrictions will ease next Monday in what is being dubbed ‘Freedom Day’ as social distancing rules will no longer be mandatory and limits on the number of people allowed to meet up will be scrapped.

But the Killamarsh pub will miss out on letting more customers inside the premises, along with a lack of virus measures for the first time in almost 16 months since the pandemic first started.

The Nag’s Head will instead reopen on Thursday, July 22 after the NHS Covid-19 app ‘pinged’ the establishment to let them know they had been in close contact with someone who had contracted the virus.

The app advises people to self-isolate for 10 days following an interaction with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus and where you have been within two metres of them for 15 minutes or more.

Nationally, there has been concern among some businesses who are struggling to operate with significant staff shortages after employees were pinged by the track and trace app – making them unable to work.

It comes after more than half a million people were contacted by the Covid-19 app and told to self-isolate in the in the seven days to July 7 - an increase of 46% on the week before, sparking concern about self isolation rules.

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