A football team at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak in the north-east of England has apologised after 300 people were told to self-isolate following a charity match.
Covid safely measures for the match on 30 August “were not strict enough”, Burnside Working Men’s Club (WMC) admitted.
Durham council has asked everyone who attended the match at Fence Houses in Houghton-le-Spring to self-isolate for a fortnight after 28 people at the game tested positive for the virus.
Burnside WMC has now released a statement following the outbreak, saying it is with “deep regret and sadness” that the event had caused a significant rise in positive Covid-19 tests.
Writing on Facebook, the spokesman said: “I would like to start by saying that the whole of the Burnside WMC football team wishes all those affected by Covid-19, due to the events of 30 August, a quick return to good health.
“It is with deep regret and sadness that our charity football match has caused a significant rise in positive Covid-19 cases and tests in the DH4/DH5 area.
“I would hope that people understand that if we knew at the time what we know now, this football match would never have gone ahead. The club would also like people to support each other, instead of issuing faults.
“The football club have been working with Public Health England, with names and contact details of all involved in the football match passed across to the department, to aid in the track and trace process.
“I will admit the precautions set in place were not strict enough. Going forward this will change to ensure any matches played, home or away, by the Burnside WMC will be played in the safest possible way, to make sure something like this never happens again.
“I’d like to reiterate that this event would never have taken place if
we had known back then, what we know now, and the day was planned with the best intentions.”
Though officially in Durham local authority, the club is close to the city of Sunderland, where a string of schools, businesses and venues have been forced to close over coronavirus fears.
Durham county council said: “Up to 300 people who attended a charity football match on 30 August at a working men’s club on the border of Sunderland and Durham, are being asked to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of the event.
“This comes after 28 people who attended the event at the Burnside working men’s club tested positive for Covid.”
Amanda Healy, Durham’s director of public health, said: “Contact tracing is being carried out with anyone deemed to be a close contact of someone who has tested positive. However, we are also asking anyone who was at the charity event on Sunday 30 August to immediately self-isolate up until midnight on the 13th, unless they’re contacted individually by NHS test and trace with further advice.
“We are also asking people in the community who have already had a test which has come back negative to self-isolate for 14 days from the 30th because it can take up to 14 days for symptoms to appear. This is essential if we are to stop the spread of the virus in this community as quickly as possible.”
