NINE employees from a Basingstoke pub are isolating after testing positive for Covid-19.

Wetherspoon confirmed to the Gazette that nine members of staff at The Angel in Festival Place caught the virus, and another two are self-isolating for 10 days after being notified to do so by the NHS Covid app.

The news comes as cases of Covid have risen in Basingstoke and Deane by almost 100 per cent. 

A spokesperson for the pub chain said it “wishes the employees a full and speedy recovery”, adding: “In accordance with NHS guidelines, these employees are required to self-isolate for the requisite 10-day period.”

It said Public Health England has been informed of the positive cases and that the pub is not required to close.

However, it has been forced to shut part of its outside area because of the staff shortages.

It is expected to reopen fully next week.

A Wetherspoons spokesperson said: “Staff are conducting regular surface cleaning and numerous hand sanitisers are in place. The operating procedures and hygiene practices implemented by the company mean that all hand contact points are frequently cleaned and sanitised throughout the day. Pubs are also thoroughly cleaned at the end of every trading day.

“In addition, Wetherspoon has implemented a number of social distancing measures in all its pubs in compliance with Government Covid-19 guidance and regulations. These include; table service only, reduced capacity levels, the spacing out of tables and the installation of a number of floor screens between tables.

“While it is not possible to create an entirely risk-free environment, adherence to social distancing guidelines and rigorous implementation of hygiene standards minimises the risk.”