Several staff members at a Shotts car auction centre have tested positive for Covid-19.
The Wishaw Press understands three members of staff at the Manheim Auction Centre in Stane Road have tested positive for the virus and are self-isolating.
An NHS Lanarkshire spokesperson said: “NHS Lanarkshire’s Test and Protect team has carried out contact tracing after individuals at Manheim Shotts car auction centre tested positive for Covid-19. They are currently self-isolating at home.
“NHS Lanarkshire is working closely with North Lanarkshire Council and the company with regards to the cases and has now contacted all close contacts. Public health advice has been given to these individuals and they are being told to self-isolate.
“To respect and maintain confidentiality it is not possible to release any further information at this time.”
A source close to the company has questioned why the company remained open.
The source said: “Three have tested positive for Covid and all staff were on site for two hours before any talk of a deep clean took place.
“I have contacted the local MSP and environmental health but I seem to be getting nowhere.
“Manheim have said a deep clean took place however this would have been pointless as all staff were on site for most part of the morning before it took place.
“Everything is kept ‘hush hush’.
“If it wasn’t for particular employees telling their workmates then it would be kept a secret. I have seen employees show obvious symptoms and have not been told to leave the site.
“Manheim do not sell direct to the public so I am struggling to see why they have managed to stay open under these circumstances.”
Shotts MSP Alex Neil this week told the Wishaw Press that he had raised a constituent’s concerns with the council’s Trading Standards department and they advise that the company was entitled to continue trading as long as it continued to implement the restrictions laid down by the Scottish Government.
A spokesperson for Cox Automotive UK,
which owns Manheim Auction Services, added: ”We have robust Covid-secure processes and procedures in place at Shotts and all our sites in the UK.
“We have worked hard to ensure that they are compliant with current Government guidelines.
“The health and well-being of team members are top priority and we take their safety at work very seriously.”
