Covid-19 cases rise at Bernard Matthews's Suffolk turkey plant

Bernard Matthews previously said the turkey plant outbreak was thought to be linked to car-sharing

Cases of Covid-19 among staff at a turkey processing plant have risen again, public heath officials said.

Bernard Matthews said it believed the cases were linked to workers car-sharing at its Holton site in Suffolk.

The plant, which employs about 1,000 people, has seen 53 test positive since the outbreak started in September, up from 36 last week.

Suffolk's director of public health, Stuart Keeble, said 39 of those were currently self-isolating.

He said some of those who had tested positive had gone back to work "because they have gone through their isolation period".

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Mr Keeble said officials were "focused on what happens at Bernard Matthews, what happens with transport and what happens in the community".

"Everybody is taking the right steps and action to reduce the spread any further," he added.

Bernard Matthews, which has its headquarters in Norfolk, said it introduced new entrances to aid one-way movement of staff, breaks are being staggered and more "working bubbles" had been created.

It had also made buses to its facilities free and put marshals on the transport.

Public health officials said some workers had been car-sharing when travelling from the Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth area.

However, they believed food production and safety were unaffected at the plant.

There were 172 new cases of coronavirus in Suffolk in the week to 2 October - up from 61 in the previous week.

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