Popular Harborough café bar has been temporarily shut after a chef tested positive for Covid-19

A popular Market Harborough café bar has been temporarily shut after a chef tested positive for Covid-19.

The Mercado Lounge on Abbey Street is following Government guidance and working alongside Public Health England as bosses responded immediately.

The town centre outlet said the man affected worked purely in their kitchen – and has not been in contact with any customers.

The chef is now self-isolating along with his kitchen staff colleagues - and every other worker at the busy venue is now being tested for the coronavirus.

The incident comes as Leicestershire’s public health chief today said he believes it’s a “single case” as he moved to put people’s minds at rest.

The Mercado Lounge, which started taking part in the Government’s Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme on Monday (August 3), today said in a statement: “Unfortunately we have decided to close Mercado Lounge temporarily because one of our chefs has tested positive for coronavirus.

“Thankfully he is not unwell and as he works in the kitchen he has not been in contact with customers.

“We are following guidance from Public Health England and though none of the rest of the team are currently showing any symptoms all will be tested.

“We will re-open when we are confident the team are all fit and well and the Lounge has been thoroughly deep cleaned and sanitised.

“We have been advised by Public Health England that we should not contact customers who have left Test and Trace details ourselves.”

They added: “Public Health England and Test and Trace teams are the experts in this.

“We have been asked to play our part by collecting customer data so they can provide advice to our customers and the general public, as appropriate.

“A few members of our kitchen team have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace and asked to self-isolate because they were in close contact with the team member who tested positive.

“But nobody from our Front of House team has been contacted and they have not requested our Test and Trace records.

“If you don't hear anything from them there is no reason for concern and you don't have to do anything.

“If you want more detail this is a good resource… https://www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works”.

Mike Sandys, director of public health for Leicestershire County Council, told the Harborough Mail: “This appears to me to be a single sporadic case.

“And it shows that our test and trace system is working well.

“This man had symptoms and he did the right thing by getting tested for the coronavirus.

“He will then have been asked various questions by the test and trace people such as where he works and where he lives.”

Mike added: “I’m sure that the risk of the virus spreading to other people such as customers here is very low as he worked in the kitchen.

“It would be very different if he worked in a pub as bar staff where he’d come into contact with customers face to face all the time.

“The Mercado Lounge is taking exactly the right action by closing for the moment and carrying out a good deep clean.

“But the risk to anyone else is pretty low.”

He said that Harborough is performing well compared to other parts of Leicestershire much more badly hit by Covid-19.

“Market Harborough is one of our districts that concerns me least.

“It’s not giving me any cause for huge alarm so far.

“The rate of infection has been low.

“Harborough’s not got the same feel to it as Melton or parts of Leicester.

“The people of Harborough deserve a pat on the back – albeit a virtual one!

“They are following the Government’s guidance, observing the social distancing rules and washing their hands regularly.

“We have just had the odd sporadic case here and there in Harborough.

“But I would appeal to local people to continue to stay on their toes and not to let their guard drop as the coronavirus threat very much continues.”