Staff at Fyffes in Coventry to be tested for Covid-19

All 186 members of staff will be tested for coronavirus

Nearly 200 members of staff at banana supplier Fyffes are to be tested for coronavirus after an outbreak among 10 workers.

All staff at Fyffes' distribution centre in Coventry will be tested as a "precaution", the city council said.

Liz Gaulton, from public health at the council, said measures put in place by the business mean they are "happy" for business to continue.

Fyffes said the safety of workers was their "number one priority".

Ms Gaulton said: "Fyffes have been open and cooperative with us and have followed our advice and guidance in how to deal with this unfortunate situation.

"We have advised that all 186-staff at the centre are tested as a precaution and the measures that have been implemented mean we are happy for the business to continue to open as normal at this time."

A spokesman for Fyffes said: "The safety of all our workers is our number one priority and a number of actions to tackle this outbreak have been agreed and are currently being implemented."

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Dr Mamoona Tahir, from Public Health England Midlands, said: "Despite putting a range of infection control measures in place to protect staff from potential exposure to Covid-19, there have been a number of cases among workers.

"We are therefore liaising with management, the local authority and the Health and Safety Executive to advise on increased social distancing measures."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said as of 13 August, there had been 57 confirmed cases in Coventry in the past seven days, at a rate of 15.34 per 100,000, which is almost double the rate of neighbouring Solihull (8.32) and four times the rate of Warwickshire (4.67).