NHS Fife can confirm that a small number of people linked to The Keys Bar on Market Street in St Andrews have tested positive for COVID-19. 

A number of close contacts of the positive cases have been identified and given appropriate public health advice.  

The venue has taken the decision to close voluntarily. 

NHS Fife is asking any individuals who were in The Keys Bar between 11-17 June 2021 to be especially vigilant of the signs and symptoms of COVID-19 – these are a new, continuous cough; a fever; or a loss or change in the sense of smell or taste. Should anyone develop any of the established symptoms of COVID-19, they should self-isolate immediately and book a test as soon as possible.

Testing is available 7 days a week at Victory Memorial Hall in St Andrews for those with symptoms. Getting tested can potentially help prevent many more people catching the virus and is absolutely free. Full details of current COVID-19 testing sites in Fife and their opening times are available at: www.nhsfife.org/testing.

Around one in three people who become infected with COVID-19 may not feel unwell, but can still spread the virus without knowing it.

A recent expansion of COVID-19 testing in Fife for those without symptoms means that home testing kits can now be collected free of charge from more than 60 locations across the Kingdom, including many local high street pharmacies. 

Testing remains a vital part of slowing the spread of the virus and people across Fife are strongly urged to collect home testing kits to help reduce the risk of passing the virus to others. All adults without symptoms can collect home tests for each member of their household. Each box contains seven tests, allowing someone to test themselves twice weekly over three weeks. The tests are quick and simple to use, giving results in 30 minutes.  

Alternatively, home testing kits can be ordered and delivered directly to your home by visiting: www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests;

A range of welfare support is available to people required to self-isolate, including financial support, food and medication delivery, and help with some caring responsibilities. For more information, visit: www.fife.gov.uk/covidassistance.

With restrictions having been eased across much of the country, local people across Fife are being reminded to follow the FACTS public health guidance. This means wearing appropriate face coverings, avoiding crowded places, cleaning hands and surfaces, remaining two metres apart wherever possible.

Vaccination is known to be effective at reducing the risk of serious illness from COVID-19 and NHS Fife is urging everyone to take up the vaccination when it is offered. More than 250,000 people in Fife have already been vaccinated against COVID-19 and this remains the best available protection against the virus and its effects.

Audio:

Director of Public Health, Dr Joy Tomlinson, talks about a cluster of COVID-19 cases linked to a bar in St Andrews [DOWNLOAD]

Notes to Editors:

More information on the expansion of home COVID-19 testing provision in Fife is available on the press release section of the NHS Fife website - https://www.nhsfife.org/news-updates/press-releases/2021-june/expansion-of-free-home-covid-19-testing-sees-more-than-60-collection-sites-across-fife/