An entire congregation in Stafford has been forced to self-isolate after a single church member tested positive for Covid-19. St Austin's Catholic Church was informed of the infection after holding a mass on Sunday.
A spokesperson from the church gave an update on the situation in a statement posted to Facebook.
"Following the advice given by the NHS over the phone, and the guidelines given on the website, we believe we have contacted everyone who attended this mass, informing them of the situation and the need to isolate for ten days," they wrote.
The parish priest added that church leaders have been in contact with the NHS agencies "and contacted everyone that was present at the service" instructing them to self-isolate. As a precautionary measure, the church has been forced to cancel mass services for the rest of the week. Under the government's latest lockdown guidance, places of worship are permitted to stay open for communal worship and individual prayer.
The rules also stipulate that people must only meet their household or support bubble and not mingle with others outside these groups.
Weddings and civil partnership ceremonies are allowed only in exceptional circumstances, such as where one partner is seriously ill, and with strict limits on attendance - up to six people.
A maximum of 30 people can attend a funeral while wakes and other ceremonial events can continue in a group of up to six.
Staffordshire has seen around 3,500 new cases of Covid-19 over the last seven days, according to the latest official data.