Over 70 workers have tested positive for coronavirus at a farm in the UK – forcing 200 people to self-isolate.
Dozens of people were living on the AS Green and Co site in Herefordshire when the outbreak of the killer virus was detected.
After a small number of workers displayed symptoms, tests were carried out and 73 people have so far been diagnosed with the Covid-19.
Many of those who returned positive tests had not been displaying symptoms, health chiefs confirmed.
Our sister title The Mirror reports that the outbreak is the largest of its kind in the UK since the start of the pandemic.
Public Health England have said the entire workforce is being tested.
The first batch of results showed a "significant" number of cases, officials stated.
In a statement Katie Spence, Public Health England Midlands health protection director said: “A small number of workers became symptomatic earlier this week and they and a few close contacts among the workforce were tested initially and found to be positive.
"In line with NHS guidance, affected individuals were asked to self-isolate for seven days, with their households and close contacts asked to isolate for 14 days.
“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.
"The initial batch of results showed a significant percentage of positive cases, despite these individuals being asymptomatic."
Workers were living in mobile homes on the site, which is on the Herefordshire-Worcestershire border, while doing crucial picking and packing.
They are being treated as a large "bubble" and told to self-isolate, officials said.
A spokesperson for AS Green told the Hereford Times: “Our staff are our priority, they are hard-working key workers helping us provide food for the country during these unusual times.
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"We contacted PHE and we are working closely with them and Public Health at Herefordshire Council to prevent the spread of Covid-19.”
Yesterday 56 people in Herefordshire tested positive for Covid-19 - the highest daily number since the start of the pandemic.
Herefordshire Council said it will be sending essential supplies to workers so they do not have to leave the site.
Karen Wright, director of public health for Herefordshire, said: "While Herefordshire is the first to experience an outbreak of this kind, this is not unexpected."
