Bakkavor workforce to be tested for Coronavirus

Over 1600 employees and 90 agency staff will be tested for Coronavirus next week as 39 cases are confirmed at the Newark Bakkavor factory.

Jonathan Gribbin, director of Public Health at Nottinghamshire County Council said the authority had been monitoring the situation closely and emphasised that factory had ‘very good controls in place’.

He added, “The most significant risks our residents face is actually out in the community and not in well run workplaces like Bakkavor.”

Director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire County Council Jonathan Gribben discusses the possibility of a localised Newark lockdown.

Business director at Bakkavor, Shona Taylor, confirmed that the Health and Safety Executive had spent a day at the premises earlier this week to check coronavirus measures and had been reassured by what they’d seen.

She said, “We’re taking this situation extremely seriously - our primary concern is the safety of our colleagues and the Newark community.

We’ve taken every effort through the pandemic to ensure we’ve got the right controls in place, the right measures to protect our workforce.”

Fifty Bakkavor employees are also currently isolating, some due to connections with the 39 confirmed cases.

This comes after an announcement that a mobile testing unit will be behind Castle House on Great North Road for three days from Monday next week in a bid to get the Newark and Sherwood community tested.

This community based approach was highlighted by Jonathan Gribben ahead of the warm weekend: “Moving into a weekend with sunshine, many people will want to be out and about.

We’re really keen that everyone gets out to enjoy themselves but at the same time keeps in mind the really important messages around precautions.”

The precautions were listed as:

• Social Distancing
• Only meeting up with one household
• Frequent Handwashing
• Face coverings in enclosed spaces
• Car Sharing for essential reasons only and keeping windows down, surfaces clean and car occupants facing different directions
• If you develop symptoms self-isolate immediately and ring 119 for a free test.

He also said that the relevant authorise were “throughly focused on preventing” a local Newark lockdown.