Popular pub on Yorkshire coast closes after staff members test positive for coronavirus

The Hare and Hounds in Hawsker closed on Tuesday, September 1 after an employee tested positive for Covid-19.

The back-of-house employee last worked on Saturday, August 29.

In an update shared on Thursday, September 3, the owners of Hare and Hounds confirmed that several more staff members tested positive for the virus.

Staff at the pub are now asking anyone who visited between over the Bank Holiday weekend to take a Covid-19 test if they develop any symptoms.

In a statement shared online, the owner said the whole team was "very upset" and "feeling a lot of emotions".

The owner said: "It is with great sadness that one of our employees has now tested positive for Covid-19. As you can imagine we are all very upset and feeling a lot of emotions at the moment.

"This member of staff was not serving front of house.

"As you can imagine we are feeling all emotions and seeking lots of advice, we just ask for everyone to please be kind.

"It’s been an emotional day particularly for our hard working, loyal staff members, we only wish it wasn’t happening to us."

They later added: "If you have visited our premises between Friday, August 28 and Monday, August 31 you are advised, as a precaution, to take a Covid 19 test and if you develop any symptoms, however mild, to isolate.

"The symptoms to look out for are a high temperature, new continuous cough, and a loss of, or change to your sense of smell or taste.

"Conversations and communication with us and Scarborough Borough Council, the Environment Agency and Track and Trace have been non-stop since Tuesday.

"They are very happy with how the situation has been dealt with.

"We are well aware of how worried you all must be, as are we, and we can only thank you all for the amazing support, messages of kindness and phone calls we have received.

"We too would like to take this opportunity to commend our staff on how quickly you have acted upon this, got tested and isolated yourselves and your families.

"You are all a credit to this small business but more importantly to everyone around you too."

A popular tea room in Whitby also closed after a staff member had been in contact with someone who later tested positive for coronavirus.

Botham's of Whitby, in Enterprise Way, decided to close the shop as a precaution after learning the news.

The business stressed that none of the shop team showed any symptoms of Covid-19 but they closed because "the safety of our team and customers is of utmost importance".

Several staff members at the shop have since taken a coronavirus test and the results came back negative.

A reopening date is yet to be announced.

A Botham's of Whitby spokesman said: "We're very happy to know that the members of our team who had been in contact with friends or relatives who have very sadly caught Covid19 have had their tests come back negative.

"We can't yet announce when the shop will reopen until all the team who are eligible for tests have their results back, but this is positive news we thought it important to share."