Pub-goers in Derbyshire town urged to get coronavirus test after four cases confirmed

Derbyshire’s director of Public Health Dean Wallace made the appeal after four people who visited three pubs in Ilkeston on either Friday 31 July or Saturday 1 August returned a positive test for the virus.

Each visited at least one of three pubs centred around the town’s Market Place – The Market Inn, The Observatory, a Wetherspoons, and The Harrow – but the longest period was spent in The Market Inn on Saturday night.

Despite all three venues taking steps to help stop the spread of the virus, Derbyshire Council said “a significant number of customers” at The Market Inn “left incomplete or illegible details making contact tracing almost impossible.” This was in spite of “the best efforts of the landlord,” the Council said.

Mr Wallace said: “It’s vital that anyone showing symptoms of coronavirus does the right thing and acts now to help stop the spread – particularly if they were in either The Market Inn, The Observatory or The Harrow in Ilkeston at any point on Friday 31 July or Saturday 1 August.

“Even if your symptoms are mild you should start to self-isolate immediately. You should only stop isolating when you get your test result but only if that result is negative.”

People can book a test online at gov.uk or by calling 119.

Mr Wallace said: “This incident just goes to show the importance of social distancing when you’re out and about as keeping two metres away from anyone outside your household really reduces the risk of the virus spreading.

“It also shows it’s essential that anyone visiting pubs, cafes, restaurants and other outlets gives accurate contact details so that they can be traced if anyone on the premises at the time they were present tests positive for the virus.”

He added: “We all need to play our part if we are to beat this pandemic and continue on the road to returning to normal life.”