Hartlepool sports centre reopening delayed as staff member tests positive for Covid-19

Brierton Sports Centre had been due to partially open again to customers this week but has been pushed back by a week.

Hartlepool Borough Council which runs the centre says the staff member who tested positive had been in close contact with seven other employees. They have now been quarantined for 14 days as a result.

Ian Gardiner, Head of Leisure, Recreation and Participation for the council, said that following the positive test the building had undergone a thorough deep clean.

He said: “While we have been able to honour some existing bookings for outdoor activities, the staffing implications of the positive Covid-19 test mean that we have been left with no option but to delay the general re-opening of the building.

“We apologise for any inconvenience this decision causes people, but the safety of customers and staff is and always will be our top priority.”

The centre on Brierton Lane is now due to reopen on Wednesday, August 12.

Mill House Leisure Centre, including the swimming pools and sports hall, is due to reopen the week of August 10, while Headland Sports Centre is set to welcome users back in the week beginning Monday, August 17, for indoor fitness classes and court bookings.

Outdoor fitness classes at Brierton Sports Centre and also Summerhill Country Park resumed on Monday, July 20.

The council is employing a variety of measures designed to make its leisure buildings Covid secure including staff training, signage throughout buildings offering clear guidance to customers on where to go and what to do, new ‘gold standard’ cleaning procedures and the purchase of specialist decontamination gym equipment.

There will also be restrictions on the number of people allowed to take part in activities and they are required to always book in advance.

For the latest reopening updates go to www.gethartlepoolactive.co.uk/covid-19-info

Just over a week ago Hartlepool trampoline centre Jump 360 was forced to delay its reopening after a staff member tested positive for the virus.

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