Staff members at one of Cornwall's Wetherspoons pubs have gone into isolation after one of them tested positive for coronavirus, but the pub will remain open to customers.

It has been confirmed that a staff member at the Tremenheere in Penzanc received a positive Covid-19 test result on Monday this week, October 5.

As a precaution, 14 other staff members who may have come into contact with the employee have also been asked to self-isolate.

But the pub chain said that it had not been the advice of the health authorities to close the pub itself.

A spokesperson for JD Wetherspoon said: "An employee at the Tremenheere, Penzance has notified us of having tested positive for Covid-19 on October 5, 2020.

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"In accordance with NHS guidelines, the employee has been required to self-isolate for the requisite ten-day period. Wetherspoon has notified Public Health England of the positive result. Wetherspoon wishes the employee a full and speedy recovery.

Falmouth Packet:

A staff member at the Tremenheere Wetherspoons pub in Penzance has tested positive for Covid

"As a precaution, in accordance with public health guidelines, 14 other members of staff who may have come into close contact with the employee who tested positive have been asked to self-isolate for 14 days.

"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.

"In these circumstances, it has not been the advice of the health authorities to close the premises."

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He went on to say that since reopening after lockdown staff had been carrying out regular surface cleaning and "numerous" hand sanitisers had been installed in each pub.

He said: "The operating procedures and hygiene practices implemented by the company mean that all hand contact points are frequently cleaned and sanitised throughout the day. Pubs are also thoroughly cleaned at the end of every trading day.

"In addition, since reopening Wetherspoon has implemented a number of social distancing measures 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.

"While it is not possible to create an entirely risk-free environment, adherence to social distancing guidelines and rigorous implementation of hygiene standards minimises the risk."