³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

A tinned food factory had to close for a day of deep cleaning following an outbreak of coronavirus.

Fourteen members of staff out of 407 at the Princes plant in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, have tested positive for Covid-19.

A spokesman said the symptomatic staff had been asked to self-isolate and contact the health authorities.

The site reopened on Wednesday morning after a 24-hour stoppage.

The company's Lynn Road site produces canned and pouched products including baked beans, soups, pulses, pasta, vegetables and sauces.

It said its "first priority is the wellbeing and safety of our colleagues" and it had been "following government advice" throughout the lockdown period by implementing social-distancing measures, adapting the work environment and ensuring an adequate supply of personal protective equipment.

The company said affected staff would be "logged as part of track and trace efforts".

"A deep clean of the facilities these colleagues used was also conducted, alongside further stringent cleaning across the site," a statement said.

"We remain in close contact with Public Health England and Fenland District Council so they are fully informed of our approach and developments at the site."

It said the staff had developed symptoms over the last few weeks and had been tested and received their results throughout that period.

Deep cleans happened daily across the site but it temporarily closed the whole site on Tuesday "as an additional step" so a further deep clean could be completed as the business "felt it was a responsible step to take.

Dr Linda Sheridan, consultant in public health medicine at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: "There seems to be some feature about the virus that allows it to thrive better in cold temperatures, which clearly meat processing factories have.

"One of the many things about these factories is they have been open during the lockdown. Staff know what to do when they're at their workplace but forget themselves sometimes when they go on breaks."