16 coronavirus cases linked to West Sussex pub

Crawley Borough Council said it was notified of the outbreak of Covid-19 at The Downsman pub in Crawley earlier this week.

A spokesman said: “Since then Public Health England has been organising contact tracing of staff and customers.

“There are 16 confirmed cases of coronavirus with a link to the pub and while this is a relatively small number and may not be the definite source of infection for all these cases, we are asking people to take action to ensure the virus does not spread further.

“If you were in The Downsman pub between 9 and 18 July (excluding the 16 July) please self-isolate for 14 days from the date of your last visit.

“If you have symptoms of coronavirus, you must self-isolate and get tested. Symptoms include a high temperature, new continuous cough and a loss or change in your sense of taste and smell.

“If you develop symptoms your household contacts will also be required to self-isolate. More information on self-isolation is available on the NHS website.

“If you have been identified as a close contact of a confirmed case, you will need to complete your 14-day isolation period even if you test negative. There is detailed guidance on the NHS website.”

In order to arrange a free test, visit nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119.

The spokesman added: “A testing site is based in Crawley until 28 July; there is also a testing centre at Gatwick Airport. For more information about testing then please visit the government website.

“Coronavirus is still with us and as restrictions are eased it is very important to continue to take action by hand washing with soap and water regularly, keeping a good social distance from people not in your household, wearing a face covering in shops or when keeping a safe social distance is not possible.

“Residents are asked to do everything possible to stop the spread of the virus. If you do visit a pub or restaurant, please record your contact details with the premises.”

West Sussex County Council Public Health and Public Health England are continuing to monitor the situation and will organise contact tracing for any further identified cases who may have visited the pub, he said.

For more information and advice visit crawley.gov.uk/coronavirus, westsussex.gov.uk/coronavirus and Let’s Keep Crawley Safe.