Burnham-On-Sea’s Somerset & Dorset pub re-opened on Saturday (July 11th) after a customer who prompted its temporary closure has now tested negative in a second Covid-19 test.
The pub’s landlords, Phil and Gaynor Burke, pictured below, told Burnham-On-Sea.com that they were “extremely pleased and relieved” to be open again.
All four staff at the High Street pub also received negative test results on Saturday morning.
The publicans issued an update on social media in which they criticised the accuracy of the home Covid-19 tests since the lady customer had initially tested positive on Thursday, prompting the closure of the pub, before her second test gave a negative result.
The couple say: “The person in question that tested positive for Covid-19 had a second test yesterday at Weston Super Mare as the first test was a home kit. It has come back negative! So no Covid-19 case in the Somerset and Dorset Pub. Just shows how home tests are unreliable. All staff have had their tests back as well – all negative.”
“We want to stress how important it is to get tested the correct way to stop this happening again. The tests are so easy to book and have – and the results come back really quickly.”
“When you are in a public house, please stick to the guidelines set out. If you do, you have nothing to worry about. If you come into our pub and don’t stick to the guidelines, we will be asking you to leave.”
Meanwhile, Burnham’s Saagar Indian takeaway has also re-opened. The Lighthouse Pub and Vape Escape remain temporarily closed as a safety precaution.