Chipmunks forced to shut doors

A TOOWOOMBA play centre has announced it is shutting its doors indefinitely over concerns around the spread of coronavirus.

Chipmunks Playland and Cafe in Toowoomba revealed to its customers it was closing the store in the Bernoth Centre from today.

It comes after another 37 cases of coronavirus were reported in Queensland in the past 24 hours, bringing the total up to 221.

Owners Ian and Lisa Bethune said the move was to protect the health of visitors.

“Due to the unprecedented impact that the coronavirus has had on the community and our business, we, along with other Chipmunk stores, have decided to temporarily close our store on March 23 until further notice,” they wrote on Facebook.

“At Chipmunks, the safety and wellbeing of our customers and staff is always our top priority.

“This step is a precaution in support of all the measures to contain COVID-19. We are committed in providing support to our employees and our community during these challenging times.

“Considering the constant change to the situation, we will not be announcing a reopening date at this time, but will be providing updates on Facebook when and where we can.”

The couple said any customers with future bookings should contact the centre.

The post received positive comments from patrons, who said they would be back when the store reopened.

It marks a turbulent 12 months for the business, which was unable to open at the start of 2019 because of issues connecting to the NBN.