Iceland coronavirus outbreak: Swindon hit by HUGE wave as 51 depot employees infected
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Fifty-one members of staff at the depot in Swindon have been infected with coronavirus. It comes after officials said 30 staff had become infected with COVID-19 on Wednesday but this has since risen to 51.
XPO Logistics’, which manage food for Iceland at the centre said: “Protecting our employees is our number one priority.
“We’re working closely with the local authorities and adhering to all local and Public Health England guidance to ensure the appropriate health and safety measures are in place.”
Swindon Borough Council and Public Health England (PHE) South West are offering support to staff.
Steve Maddern, Swindon Borough Council’s Director of Public Health, added: “The offer of testing to everybody who works on site is a precautionary measure, but it is important that we act to help stop the spread of the virus within our workplaces and the local community in Swindon.
“We are working closely with Public Health England and would like to thank XPO Logistics for their co-operation in this matter.
“It is important that everyone in Swindon remains vigilant and takes steps to help reduce the spread of the virus at work, at home and when socialising after work.
“This includes washing hands more often than usual for 20 seconds with soap and water, coughing and sneezing into tissues and promoting the ‘catch it, bin it, kill it’ approach, cleaning frequently touched surfaces regularly and minimising contact with other people as far as possible.”
Employees are bein offered on-site testing for the virus using a Mobile Testing Unit.
It comes after recent figures showed in Swindon the rate has risen from 9.0 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 20 to 28.8 in the seven days to July 27.
A total of 64 new cases have been recorded.
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