Coronavirus: Swindon McDonald's deep cleaned as employee tests positive

An employee at the restaurant on the Greenbridge retail park had been self-isolating

A McDonald's restaurant has been deep cleaned after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

An employee at the restaurant on the Greenbridge retail park, Swindon, had been self-isolating last week after being in contact with someone who had tested positive, a spokesperson said.

That employee later tested positive themselves and did not return to work.

A new mobile testing unit has been set up in the town following a recent spike in cases.

The restaurant was deep cleaned "as a precautionary measure" and a number of safety measures were in place "to help keep our people safe", the McDonald's spokesperson said.

Swindon was added to Public Health England's coronavirus watchlist last Friday.

It followed a rise in infection rates in the town - which more than doubled in a week, driven by an outbreak at an Iceland food distribution centre.

'Thousands of houses'

Swindon Borough Council said a new mobile testing unit was being set up near the town centre, to help get on top of the coronavirus rise.

Director of public health Steve Maddern said: "The vast majority of new cases in Swindon are being traced back to the SN1 and SN2 areas of Swindon and, at this stage, there is little evidence of any widespread community transmission across the borough.

"We have written to thousands of households in those two postcode areas reminding them of the importance of following the government advice on hand washing, social distancing and face coverings.

"We are also reiterating that anyone with symptoms of Covid-19, no matter how minor, should book a test and self-isolate at home to minimise the spread of the virus."

At the weekend, Tesco confirmed a number of staff at its Ocotal Way Extra store in Swindon tested positive tested positive for the virus.