It’s becoming a bit like the hokey cokey for hospitality venues in Sutton Coldfield. They’re in, they’re out, then they’re back in again and who knows, maybe out again?

The Butlers Arms on Lichfield Road only reopened last weekend after the pub closed due to Covid-19 and The Bracebridge in Sutton Park was also forced to close its doors until July 24 for the same reason.

Now another popular venue, the Farmhouse Bistro at the Mitchell Centre on Weeford Road, has been forced to close and in another development, Mocha Coffee Lounge in Streetly has done the same.

A message on the Farmhouse Bistro website made this announcement: “We regret that the Bistro is now closed for a few days due to enforced staff isolation. We thank you for your understanding and look forward to seeing you again soon. Watch this space for an announcement on reopening”

The Mocha Lounge also added a similar message on Facebook.

It would appear that this is going to be a running theme. There are reports that a popular hospitality venue in Sutton Coldfield has told staff, via a memo, that if they attend a nightclub, they should not return to work for at least three days to try and prevent infections.