A BAR in Reading has temporarily closed after a number of staff members tested positive for coronavirus.

Staff at Pitcher and Piano in Friar Street, Reading, issued a statement on the bars Facebook page informing customers over the situation.

The town centre pub will be closed over the weekend and plans to open its doors again on Tuesday, July 20.

This afternoon, O'Neill's has reportedly closed its doors due to a similar instance regarding coronavirus cases.

The statement said: "Unfortunately, we have been linked to a case of COVID-19 by NHS Track & Trace and a few members of our team have been instructed to isolate. Sadly, this means we have closed from today to ensure the safety of our team and guests.

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"We plan to reopen on Tuesday 20th July so please check back here for further updates."

All customers who have had a reservation will be contacted over the phone or email to rearrange.

Adding: "Apologies for any inconvenience caused but we look forward to welcoming you back soon."

Pitcher and Piano issued the statement on Thursday evening.

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It comes as Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions are sharply rising, playing a significant gamble on Freedom Day on July 19.

Chris Whitty, England’s Chief Medical Officer warned that the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 is currently doubling about every three weeks and could reach “quite scary numbers” if the trend continues.

Speaking at a webinar hosted by the Science Museum, Prof Whitty said: “I don’t think we should underestimate the fact that we could get into trouble again surprisingly fast.”

He added: “We are not by any means out of the woods yet on this, we are in much better shape due to the vaccine programme, and drugs and a variety of other things."