Omagh pub announces closure to stop coronavirus spread

A PUB in Omagh has announced it will close in the run up to St Patrick’s Day in an effort to stop the spread of  coronavirus.

The owners of the Blind Cobbler, said the decision to close was ‘difficult’ but that the safety of the public was paramount.

The award winning, Blind Cobbler in Omagh, County Tyrone, should be preparing for one of the busiest days of the years. Instead, owners, father and daughter duo, Andrew and Laura Short have decided to temporarily close the bar.

Andrew Short who runs the award-winning bar along with his daughter Laura, said “We’ve been weighing up all the advice on how to help prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus and having a crowd in the bar – even if we limit the numbers, just doesn’t sit well with me. I’m watching our doctors, nurses and health staff who are working tirelessly to lessen the impact of a global pandemic, and while we can encourage social distancing in the bar, we can’t really stop people getting together.”

Laura, added, “We really struggled with this decision. St Patrick’s Day and the run up to it, is one of the busiest times of the year for us. But dad and I talked it over and we both agreed that for the safety of our staff, their families, our customers and the wider community we have to put profit aside and safety at the forefront.

“It’s a really tough decision for us, but in our hearts, we know it’s the right one and we’ll come out the other side knowing that we did the right thing”

The father and daughter said they will continue to pay their staff and will review the situation on a daily basis.

Andrew added, “Financially, this is going to be really hard on us, and I know others in the trade will have tough decisions to make over the next while, but we will get through it. I think if we all act now to slow the progress of this virus, the pressure on hospitals and the medical profession might be a little less.

“We really hope their customers will understand and appreciate why they’ve taken this decision and when this is over, we will see them all for one heck of a party!”