Coronavirus outbreak in Mirfield closed three pubs and bars

Kirklees Council officials visited licensed premises on Friday night to check they were complying with Government guidance.

The move came after the Navigation Tavern in Station Road closed its doors after a staff member tested positive for the virus.

Immediately afterwards the pub put out a statement on its Facebook page saying that anyone who had been in the pub the previous weekend must get a test and self-isolate.

That advice - said to come from Kirklees Council - caused confusion among customers and was later withdrawn.

After the closure the pub revealed that more staff had tested positive and at least four customers had also reported positive test results.

Two other licensed premises - the Travellers Rest in Upper Hopton and The Office wine bar in Mirfield town centre - both re-opened at the weekend after being forced to close when customers tested positive.

A Kirklees Council spokesman said: “We’d like to thank the Navigation Tavern for all of their cooperation and for acting as quickly as they did. We can’t be certain what other advice was given, but we wrote to the owner of the pub straight away with all the steps they needed to take, including Test and Trace protocol for customers.

“Just to confirm, people who have visited the Navigation Tavern do not need to self-isolate or get tested unless they have COVID-19 symptoms.”