Branch of Clarks shoe shop closes in Coronavirus scare as member of staff is sent for testing 

Branch of Clarks shoe shop closes in Coronavirus scare as member of staff is sent for testing

  • Store in Nantwich, Cheshire closed Friday afternoon and missed Saturday trade
  • Clarks said it had closed on advice it had received from Public Health England 
  • One employee has been tested for the Coronavirus and is in self-quarantine 

A branch of British shoe retailer Clarks closed its doors to customers over the weekend after a member of its staff was suspected to have contracted the Coronavirus.

The store in Nantwich, Cheshire, was closed on Friday afternoon amid fears an employee had the super virus.

Shoppers were seen walking up to the entrance of the store on Saturday morning after it was closed following advice from Public Health England. 

On Saturday a sign on the front door read: ‘This store is closed due to unforeseen circumstances’. 

A branch of Clarks shoe shop in Nantwich, Cheshire, was closed over the weekend due to a Coronavirus scare 

A sign outside the shop read: 'This store is closed due to unforeseen circumstances. You can still shop online at www.clarks.co.uk. Sorry for the inconvenience'

A sign outside the shop read: ‘This store is closed due to unforeseen circumstances. You can still shop online at www.clarks.co.uk. Sorry for the inconvenience’ 

The shop was left in the darkness over the weekend, a sign was left on the door informing customers of the closure

The shop was left in the darkness over the weekend, a sign was left on the door informing customers of the closure

The store is not open on Sundays.   

On Saturday a spokesman for Clarks said: ‘We can confirm that Clarks is currently taking advice from Public Health England regarding an individual at our Nantwich store.

‘The employee in question has been tested for Coronavirus, and is now in self-quarantine following advice from Public Health England as we await their test results.

‘We are currently being guided by Public Health England on the actions to take and our priority remains to protect the welfare of all Clarks staff, our customers and the public.

Shoppers were seen walking up to the door of the store before realising that it was actually closed on Saturday afternoon

Shoppers were seen walking up to the door of the store before realising that it was actually closed on Saturday afternoon 

‘As a business we have introduced many measures to protect both public and staff safety both in line with and in addition to current government advice.

‘Our Nantwich store is currently closed. We are unable to share any further details at this time.’

Public Health England said it did not comment on suspected cases.

The store in Nantwich is situated on the high street and is next to a Timpson and an opticians

The store in Nantwich is situated on the high street and is next to a Timpson and an opticians 

On Saturday NHS England said all but one of the nine UK patients who tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus had been discharged from hospital.

Some of the first Britons to catch the deadly disease, which has so far killed 1,527 people and infected 67,091, caught the killer infection in a French ski chalet from a Brighton man who stayed at the same resort.

In York, a university student and his mother were tested positive for the virus.

The latest victim, who was diagnosed in London on February 12, is thought to have flown into the UK from China a few days ago, with officials confirming she caught the virus in China. 

It is unclear which of the nine patients remains in hospital.  

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said earlier this week that the coronavirus outbreak is a ‘serious and imminent’ threat to the British public.