Mid-Wales tavern asks over-60s to stay away over coronavirus fears
A tavern in mid-Wales have said that they would rather customers over 60 stay away because of fears that they would be more at risk if they caught the coronavirus.
Tafarn Dwynant near Machynlleth said that they were no longer confident of being able to provide a “safe environment” for older customers.
They emphasised that they did not consider the older group to be more infectious, but more at risk themselves if they catch this virus.
However, they said that for legal reasons, they could not refuse customers based on their potential vulnerability to Covid-19.
Data from around the world has suggested that older adults – particularly those with heart, lung, and immunological conditions – are the most vulnerable to the worst effects of the disease.
Tafarn Dwynant in Ceinws, which is run by Abby and Kevin McTomney, also said that they were considering closing entirely for a time.
“We’ve been wrestling with the moral conundrum of providing both a living for our family and being a likely point of infection for our customers for a few days now,” they said.
“Given the data that’s now showing that infections in the UK are increasing very rapidly and that the government’s strategy is to seek herd immunity, that is it will only control rather than seek to stop infections so as not to overwhelm our brilliant health service, we can no longer permit customers who are over the age of 60 to enter our pub.
“We regret this enormously, but we feel that we can no longer provide a safe environment for those at most risk from Covid19.
“At some future point, probably in the next week or two, we will close entirely so that we are not a nexus of infection in our community.
“We feel, despite the inevitable economic hardship this will cause us, that this is the right thing to do. We would rather lose our business than a friend.”
Closed
Other countries and regions have already taken steps to stop people from congregating in pubs and clubs.
The Irish government called on pubs and bars to close from Sunday to help tackle coronavirus.
In the United States, California Governor Gavin Newsom has directed the closure of all bars, wineries, nightclubs and brewpubs in the state.
He also called for all seniors age 65 years or older to stay in home isolation to curb the spread of coronavirus.
Spain and Italy have imposed strict limits on public life, telling everyone to stay indoors, with few exceptions.
In France, cafes and restaurants were ordered closed along with most other nonessential businesses.
Support our Nation today
For the price of a cup of coffee a month you can help us create an independent, not-for-profit, national news service for the people of Wales, by the people of Wales.
oh dear, so now old people are seen as a health hazard? If this measure is solely for their personal protection they could be advised to self isolate not instructed to and excluded.
Is any other country taking this lock up your old approach?
Don’t fret Vicky. That’s not a very flattering photo but if its reality is anything like that I wouldn’t take any member of any generation of my family near the place. You could go there healthy and come away with stuff that makes Covid 19 seem like a minor irritant ! Seems like some hard pressed muppet is looking to generate free publicity, no thanks.
No. That’s not what they said. They are saying that the pub is a potential health hazard to the elderly.
The focus for C19 in Wales is Swansea and NPT where the first diagnosed cases were all returnees from Northern Italy. I was told be my family in Swansea that they were young(ish) teachers returning from a school ski trip so if there is a higher risk of infection it may well not be the over 60’s but the younger, fitter demographic that is responsible for the spread in Wales. We oldies might be the ones to suffer most and die more frequently but the spread of disease will almost certainly be among working age and school age people who… Read more »
More people will die and are dying due to obesity and its effect than corona in Wales. I am not saying that measures must be taken to minimise the fall out. But the gvts do not seem to have any issue with big business, the food industry and general idleness, stupidity and unhapiness making people overweight, they are happy to see it happen. And that is an epidemic, according to the death stats
This response to the epidemic is daft and displays an utter failure to understand the problem. People over 60 are not more infectious than others. The possibiity that we oldies may be confined to barracks is not because we are more infectious than anyone else but because we need more protection than everyone else. Everyone, including schoolchildren and people under the age of 60 are to exactly the same extent as us oldies potential reservoirs and spreaders of the virus. The onlty advantage of being young is that the prospects of survival are greater. The owners of Tafarn Dwynant may… Read more »
Won’t be going there then even when its all over, horrible people
Vicky is right – applying a limit of age-60 (or 70) is unlawful age-discrimination under the Equality Act. The issue is not whether the 60-yr old individual has been on a cruise or Spanish holiday – when they might be thought more likely to infect others. It’s whether their immune-system or respiratory system or heart are compromised – when they are considered at greater personal risk. The publicans are acting unlawfully if they try to apply an upper age limit. So are government Ministers if they issue ‘advisory’ age-limits, as they induce hostility to oldies if they persist in going… Read more »
The virus has well and truly escaped and is here, there and everywhere. The advice for older people to keep out of harms way, as much as is possible, seems sensible. If they choose to ignore the advice then I don’t think it is up to a pub landlord to act like some petty government official enforcer. The people are old enough to know the risks and that should be enough. Do they ask for ID? Is there a big notice ‘If you look 55 years or older you will be required to show proof you are young enough to… Read more »