A bar in Penwortham has decided to voluntarily close for a fortnight after two staff tested positive for coronavirus.

Lime Bar Lounge in Liverpool Road said it was ‘putting the health and welfare of staff and customers first’.

Hospitality venues which have Covid-19 cases are not required to close but the owners of Lime Bar said they had decided to close their doors until Thursday 15 October.

In a statement on Sunday (4 October) morning, Lime Bar’s owners said: “It is important to inform all our customers and friends, that unfortunately we have had to make the incredibly tough decision to voluntarily close our doors with immediate effect for the next few days as two of our team have been diagnosed positive with COVID-19.

“After discussions with the Public Health Authority England who have confirmed to us that we could continue to operate we personally feel it is the correct decision in putting the health and welfare of staff and customers first.

“Following the discussions with the Public Health Authority England, they have reviewed how we operate, our covid secure policy and procedures and the systems we have in place they are confident that any risk to staff and customers is minimal.

“We’d like to assure our customers that we’ve been working diligently during the difficult and ever changing circumstances and have taken all the necessary precautions to make sure that health and safety of all staff and customers remains at the very forefront of all of our Covid-secure operations. This includes social distancing measures, staff PPE, frequent cleaning and sanitising and track and trace data collection.

“We have also reiterated to the team how important the actions out of the workplace is to be adhered to during this pandemic.”

The venue is due to be deep-cleaned in the coming days and customers with bookings for 8-11 October are being contacted and asked to reschedule for a later date.

A further statement said: “Clearly this is a very challenging time for us all and we thank you all for your continued support and understanding during these unprecedented times.

“Personal thankyou to some lovely customers who has been so so supportive, friends who have been there and a local business for advice and guidance. You know who you are. Thank you.”

Read more: South Ribble MP urges residents to ‘enjoy Penwortham’

South Ribble’s new cases in the last seven days, week ending 30 September, is listed as 133 – a week-on-week increase of 68%.

In the period 23 September to 29 September, Penwortham North had 10 new Covid-19 cases, Penwortham South saw eight and Lower Penwortham North listed six new cases.

Read more: See where Preston and South Ribble’s Covid hotspots are

The borough, which includes Penwortham, is subject to enhanced restrictions to tackle the spread of coronavirus including:

• Households are prohibited from mixing in homes and gardens
• Bars and restaurants are limited to table-service only
• Hospitality venues must shut by 10pm

And residents are urged to only visit indoor locations such as pubs and restaurants with other members of their household of support bubble.

Read more: See the latest Preston and South Ribble news and headlines

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