Covid lottery sweepstake worker delayed waste collections

Recycling collections were delayed for several weeks after the worker tested positive

A waste worker who had been running a lottery sweepstake tested positive for coronavirus, causing a mass self-isolation of staff which led to disrupted recycling collections.

Torbay Council heard the worker came into contact with a large number of staff during his lottery activities.

About 60 people had to self-isolate as a result.

This delayed collections in Torbay for several weeks from late October, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Former mayor Nick Bye said the extent of the self-isolation among the workforce at the council's company SWISCo showed poor management.

However, the authority's director of place Kevin Mowat told a meeting on Wednesday it was an unforeseen one-off incident by a "rogue member of staff", and strict hygiene measures had been introduced.

'Unacceptable breach'

"Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Did I know that someone was going around doing a sweepstake on the lottery with the bonus ball? No I did not," Mr Mowat said.

"It was just one of those things, it was not due to poor practice, it was a one-off. It won't happen again."

A council spokesperson said it had "implemented strict measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19" including staff bubbles, wearing face coverings and social distancing.

"So we were very disappointed to have found out that an unofficial lottery sweepstake was being run at work without our knowledge, and bringing staff into contact outside their usual bubbles," they added.

Following the "unacceptable" breach of protocol "rigorous" contact tracing in line with Public Health England guidance was carried out, the spokesperson said.