Written by Iain Hoey
Vegetable producers A S Green and Co, in Herefordshire, has gone into lockdown after 73 workers tested positive for Covid-19, with up to 200 workers being told to self-isolate on the farm where they pick crops.
The company said the welfare of its staff was its “priority” and further testing of management and visitors to the farm had so far produced negative test results.
As a precaution, the workers are being treated as “one extended bubble” and are staying within household groups, the council said. The farm is currently closed to visitors.
In a statement on its website, A S Green and Co said: “Public Health England advises that it is very unlikely Covid-19 can be transmitted through food or food packaging, so shoppers can remain confident buying British fruit and veg.”
The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said the industry takes this issue ‘incredibly seriously’. Speaking about the outbreak, an NFU spokesman commented:
“Everything is being done to keep workers safe; their health and safety remains the priority.
“Across the sector there have been significant investments this season; from the use of additional safety equipment and PPE, regularly testing temperatures, and following government guidance created specifically for seasonal workers.”
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