Covid cluster linked to Aberdeen pub rises to 27 cases

The number of Covid-19 cases linked to a pub in Aberdeen city centre has risen to 27.

NHS Grampian said investigations into the cluster are continuing and officials are speaking to people who have been infected and identifying their close contacts.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said earlier on Monday the outbreak at the Hawthorn Bar is “exactly what we feared” when the decision was taken to reopen the hospitality industry.

The pub’s owners said the cases were linked to customers who visited the bar on July 26.

Dr Emmanuel Okpo, Consultant in Public Health Medicine at NHS Grampian, said: “It is not entirely surprising further cases have been detected.

“This virus is still circulating in our communities. It poses a risk to all of us. People who have not gone to this bar, or who live in other parts of Grampian, should not assume they are somehow ‘safe’.”

NHS Grampian also said environmental health colleagues at Aberdeen City Council are in contact with licensees in the city to reiterate the safety rules and regulations.

Meanwhile, a coronavirus cluster in the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board area has recorded another case linked to the outbreak.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHSGGC) said one more person – a known contact of earlier cases – has tested positive, bringing the total to 14.

All are experiencing mild symptoms, according to the health board.