ARGYLE House will stay shut until "after Christmas" as the Omicron outbreak linked to the nightclub continues to rampage through the Hunter.
The popular night spot had initially said it planned to re-open on Wednesday when the news broke at the weekend, but posted a statement saying it had re-assessed.
"Closing is not an easy decision, but one that is made with the health and safety of our staff and patrons as the priority," the venue wrote on social media.
"Over the past two years, our venue and staff have been managing and working with the COVID-19 regulations. Like many, unprecedented shutdowns and restrictions have made it one of the most challenging times our business has had to go through.
"We are devastated that just as things were looking to return to a 'new normal', we have unknowingly been one of the transmission sites for this current wave of COVID infections."
The venue thanked police and health authorities for their support and efforts to contact trace since the "prom night" event that health authorities say preceded hundreds of fresh infections in the Hunter.
"An event like this shows the importance of QR check-ins which are checked by our staff before every entry, a practice we will continue with moving forward into 2022," the venue said.
"We love Newcastle, and we love our patrons. We are Newcastle people who love this city. We're heartbroken to see the effect this has had on so many individuals and businesses in Newcastle.
"We urge everyone to support local businesses through this time, there are plenty of wonderful people here who hustle everyday to provide a product or service, just like we do."
"We live in a great place and thank everyone who have reached out to us in support.
