An outbreak of coronavirus has been confirmed at a vegetable farm after 14 workers were confirmed to have tested positive.
Around 340 people work at the Evesham Vale Growers Limited at Blackminster near Evesham, which grows tomatoes, spring onions, asparagus, fennel and courgettes.
All staff at the site will now be tested and advised to isolate, when not at work at the farm in Worcestershire.
Measures have been put in place by Worcestershire County Council, which said it is working with Public Health England to contain the outbreak.
PPE has been provided for staff, testing has started on site, and social distancing, face coverings in enclosed areas and more hand washing have all been promoted.
The site already had screens to protect workers.
Dr Adrian Phillips, consultant in Communicable Disease Control with PHE Midlands, said: “We are working closely with the local authority and the management at Evesham Vale Growers Limited to support the health and wellbeing of the workforce and wider public health.
“We still expect to see cases in the community and within settings where people are closer together, such as workplaces, which is why the Test and Trace system is important, to help us pick up on any potential problems and swiftly to take remedial action to reduce spread.
“To support this workforce of around 340 key workers, the company has put in place a range of infection control measures to try to reduce the risk of staff being exposed to Covid-19.
“Measures include supporting testing on site, promoting social distancing in the indoor packaging area, providing PPE for staff where applicable, encouraging regular hand washing for at least 20 seconds, and promoting the use of face coverings in closed areas.
“As we have seen a global trend of large food producers being subject to outbreaks, as a precautionary measure, the decision was made to test the entire workforce.”
Worcestershire’s Director of Public Health, Dr Kathryn Cobain maintained the food produced at the site, which includes tomatoes, spring onions, asparagus, fennel and courgettes, as well as ‘combinable and forage crops’ according to the firm’s website, is ‘safe to eat’.
She said: “Our priority is to protect the health and wellbeing of all residents in our community.
“We will continue to support the site management, their workers – who form an important part of our local economy, and the local community through this challenging time.
“The food produced on the site is unaffected by the outbreak and remains safe to eat. Anyone who has a fever, persistent dry cough, or loss or change in their sense of taste or smell should call 119 or go online to arrange a test.”
A spokeswoman for Evesham Vale Growers Limited said: “Our staff are our priority, they are hard-working key workers helping us provide food for the country.
“The site has a multitude of preventative measures in place for our workers, including screens, hand washing facilities, extra cleaning and protocols for workers coming and going on the site.
“We are working closely with PHE Midlands and Public Health at Worcestershire County Council to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”
