Limerick coffee shops impose ban on reusable cups amid coronavirus fears

A NUMBER of Limerick cafés and coffee shops have imposed a ban on customers using their own reusable coffee cups in attempts to contain the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus).

There are currently 21 cases of coronavirus in the Republic of Ireland as of this Monday morning.

Selected independently-run coffee shops, as well as Limerick's numerous Starbucks cafés, have imposed a temporary ban in recent days.

A store representative told the Limerick Leader that customers would still receive a discount for bringing reusable cups with them, but drinks would be served in paper cups in an effort to protect the surrounding community from the spread of the virus. 

The ban has been imposed to limit the spread of a contaminated person's body fluids (ie. saliva) from their own personal cup to the equipment that's used to prepare other people's beverages, as well as to café employees.