Galway pub Taylor's Bar & Beer Garden has taken to social media to update the public on their situation. Closed as of September 6th, owners voluntarily shut the premises after learning that a group of customers who had visited the pub in late August had all tested positive for Covid-19.
Hoping to be back up and running within the next week, a statement shared by the Galway pub advises customers that they are still awaiting HSE confirmation as to when exactly this will be possible. The statement reads:
'We have been notified by the HSE, that a group of people, that had attended Taylor's Bar & Beer Garden over the last weekend in August, had all tested positive for COVID-19 in the early part of the following week. The HSE has explained that the party, likely unknowingly, were at a highly contagious stage when on our premises.
As is normal process in the circumstances, the HSE are responsible for following up on contact tracing via both the COVID TRACKER APP and from our contact tracing records that have been maintained as per the guidelines. The HSE has contacted everyone that was on the property in/around the time of the infected parties booking. Where the infected group sat and the time of their booking was not made known to us for privacy reasons, and we respect that.
As a precautionary measure & following HSE advice we have arranged testing for ALL Staff. We have also carried out a deep clean of the premises. We do this so that when we reopen, we will do so knowing that our staff are COVID free and the premises is as per guidelines. We will only reopen when safe to do so.'
Thanking the HSE for their 'guidance, professionalism, efficiency and confidentiality' in dealing with a 'significantly difficult' situation, owners have said that they will not be making any further statement on the matter.
'This is now what they refer to as “living with COVID” and will undoubtedly happen again to us and others. We hope that our action of voluntary closure may have assisted in some way in preventing the spread further.
Our advice from all of this is 1) Download and use the COVID TRACKER APP and 2) obviously follow the HSE guidelines (and most especially when you are socialising)
We hope to see ye soon in what is likely to be the safest place in Galway this coming weekend to have some food & a glorious pint or a well made cocktail! Big Love.'
Not an isolated incident, other pubs across Ireland have also been faced with
similar situations since reopening.
Header image via Facebook/Taylor's Bar & Beer Garden
