More than 350 coronavirus tests have been taken after a major outbreak at a pub.
Health bosses are awaiting results after the number of cases connected with the Crown and Anchor in Stone, North Staffordshire, and a private party rose to 16.
These include five people who tested positive for Covid-19 after coming into contact with other customers, reports The Mirror.
It has been claimed that as many as 200 punters visited the venue, with eyewitnesses describing them being "packed in like sardines".
Visitors and staff who were at the boozer between July 16 and 18 are now being told to self-isolate and urgently get swabs done.
Four more pubs in the town have since shut their doors as a precaution after the outbreak
Dr Richard Harling, director of health and care at Staffordshire County Council, said: “They are from all over the place – 13 in Staffordshire and three in Stoke on Trent.
“Five are from the Stone area, with three from elsewhere in Stafford Borough. There are another three in Stoke-on-Trent, three in the Staffordshire Moorlands and two from Newcastle-under-Lyme.
“We are now having conversations with all the cases to make sure they are self-isolating - and to identify their contacts and have conversations with their contacts to make sure they are also self-isolating.
“We are not currently considering any restrictions in Stone or elsewhere. We will keep that under review, depending on how many other cases we get.
“Of the 498 people tested on Wednesday we have had 130 results back which are negative which is good. There are 368 results still to come.
“We will take appropriate action depending on how many more cases come and we are happy to update the community when that information comes through.”
Simon Lowe, 19, from Meir, said he had been in contact with people who were at the pub that night but was not displaying any symptoms.
He said: "I didn’t go in the Crown and Anchor because I could see it was rammed. I chose not to go in just from looking at it."
