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A four-star hotel temporarily closed its doors after a Covid-19 outbreak, with as many as 20 guests staying there last week testing positive.
The Bridge House Hotel in Tullamore, Co Offaly, was temporarily closed after about 20 people, out of a group of 40, tested positive for the virus.
The group had stayed at the premises from September 6 to 10.
The hotel issued a statement to Independent.ie “regrettably” confirming the group.
The hotel said: “The health and safety of employees and guests is the number one priority for our hotel.
“Since reopening, we have worked tirelessly to ensure a safe environment in line with all government public health guidelines, including those from the Department of Health and HSE. “Unfortunately, however, we confirm that the HSE has notified us of a confirmed group in a group of guests who stayed at our hotel last week.
“We are working closely and cooperating fully with the HSE.
“All potential close contacts are being contacted by the HSE.”
All staff members are being evaluated, the statement added, “as a precautionary measure.”
“In the interest of health and safety, we have decided to temporarily close our hotel as an additional additional measure,” the statement concluded.
Independent.ie has seen what is believed to be an HSE correspondence detailing the outbreak.
The correspondence was sent by a senior HSE staff member to the GPs in Tullamore, to warn of a “significant Covid-19 incident in Tullamore.”
The correspondence noted that the group had also played golf in the area and socialized at various bars and a restaurant.
“Currently, the infection is limited to this group,” the email says. “If, from testing, new notifications, and additional history, we determine that there is transmission of infection beyond this group … (they will be asked to) contact their GP …”
He added that a “significant number of people in the Tullamore community” were “likely” to contact their GPs with consultations.
GPs were asked to tell anyone other than the people already contacted, that they were concerned about having symptoms, to isolate themselves and be sent for testing.
The Offaly Express reported that local sources had told it that most of the guests were from Dublin.
Fianna Fáil Tullamore Councilor Tony McCormack said: “We are coming out of lockdown.
“Offaly was badly affected. Pubs, hotels and restaurants are great contributors to the economy and are the fabric of society.
“Hopefully, due to this incident, we will not have an increase in the numbers at Offaly and we will not have a third block.
“It would be a terrible shame for companies closed for so long if we closed again.
“It would be terrible for family businesses, but let’s be positive about this and hope that it has not spread and we can contain the outbreak.
“We need to focus on testing anyone who is in contact with those people and making sure the contact tracing is done correctly.”
Online editors
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