Coronavirus: West Bromwich firm shuts amid 'major outbreak' in cases

Currently 49 of 117 staff tested positive

A factory in a West Midlands coronavirus hotspot has closed its doors after a third of its workforce tested positive for Covid-19.

CBS Packaging has taken the step after Sandwell borough saw a "serious rise" in cases recently.

A total of 49 of 117 workers at the cardboard packaging firm in West Bromwich have the disease, public health teams said.

It will shut for 14 days at midnight on Wednesday as staff isolate at home.

Voluntary closure

Health teams started working with the firm last week.

Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell Council's Director of Public Health, said: "CBS bosses have taken the decision to voluntarily close because they are as determined as we are to get on top of this outbreak.

"The company has co-operated with public health partners and assure us they are doing everything they can to comply with the advice and measures recommended.

"It's now very important that all CBS staff members self-isolate at home. This will help prevent anyone else becoming ill."

Staff will receive letters instructing them to isolate and with telephone checks being carried out to check on their health and ensure they are isolating.

'Awful lot of cases'

Earlier this week, Dr McNally said 40 coronavirus cases in nearby Smethwick in the last seven days of data was "10 times higher" than that seen in recent weeks.

There were "an awful lot" of positive cases were in households where there was a cluster of other infections.

Although numbers across Sandwell were not comparable to levels reached in Leicester, Dr McNally admitted: "Unless we as a community can really respond to this, then we are potentially looking at further measures."

Any firm with two cases or more among its staff is asked to contact Sandwell Public Health.