The workplace at the centre of a Covid-19 outbreak investigation in Selby is Clipper Logistics, it was confirmed today (Tuesday).
The outbreak has seen the town’s infection rate soar. On Saturday, there were 43 coronavirus cases across the whole of North Yorkshire – 32 of them in Selby.
North Yorkshire County Council says it working with Public Health England at the warehouse and distribution centre on Barlby Road, which remains open.
In recent days it has been reported that white marquees have been put up next to the building.
In a statement to YorkMix, the company said:
“As this global crisis progresses, it’s clear no community is insusceptible to coronavirus and, like many others, we, too, have been impacted with a number of confirmed cases.
“That said, there is no evidence to suggest these cases were contracted in the warehouse.
“As the health and wellbeing of our staff is our number one priority, we are maintaining our social distancing protocols, conducting daily on-site testing and communicating regularly with staff and the environmental health officer, who has visited the site in the last week and verified our approach.”
Clipper Logistics has its HQ in Leeds. The Selby warehouse operates in a 195,000 sq ft unit on Potter Space’s business park.
The outbreak has led to a spike in the figures for the town. Selby recorded 101 new coronavirus cases in the seven days to April 22 – the equivalent of 111.5 cases per 100,000 people.
This is up from 48.6 in the seven days to April 15, the largest increase in the country.
And Selby’s figure is more than 60% higher than the next district on the table, which is Kirklees, in West Yorkshire.
Louise Wallace, North Yorkshire’s director of public health, said yesterday: “The company is working very closely with us as we take every measure, including workforce testing on site, to contain this outbreak.”