A MEMBER of staff at a town centre pub has contracted coronavirus.

Wetherspoons has confirmed that an employee at its Friar Penketh pub on Barbauld Street has tested positive for Covid-19.

Public Health England has been notified, and the worker is now in self-isolation – while a second staff member who was in ‘close contact’ is also isolating.

A Wetherspoons spokesman said: “Wetherspoons was made aware on September 18 that one employee at the Friar Penketh had tested positive for Covid-19.

“Wetherspoons has notified Public Health England of the positive result in line with public health guidance.

“The individual has been asked to isolate for the requisite 10-day period – Wetherspoons wishes the employee a full and speedy recovery.

“As a precaution, one other employee at the pub who had been in close contact with the affected employee has also been asked to self-isolate for 14 days in accordance with public health guidelines.

“Close contact means being within two metres of a person who tested positive for the virus for 15 minutes or more or within one metre for one minute or more.

“Since reopening in England on July 4, Wetherspoons has operated comprehensive social distancing and hygiene practices in all its pubs – these include reduced capacity levels, the spacing out of tables, the installation of a number of floor screens between tables and the addition of till surround screens to the bar.

“Staff are conducting regular surface cleaning and numerous hand sanitisers have been installed in each pub.

“While it is not possible to completely eliminate risk, a combination of strict hygiene and strict social distancing measures helps to minimise the risk.”