26 new Covid-19 cases in Welshpool

Welshpool’s latest Covid-19 outbreak has seen 26 new positive cases recorded over the weekend, with CDT Sidoli Ltd confirming that many are employed at the firm's headquarters on the edge of town.

Almost 500 people have been tested since last Friday at a specialist mobile unit deployed to the town after a steady rise in positive local cases were recorded last week.

This afternoon, a joint statement has confirmed that 26 of those tested have returned positive tests, with particular concern over the number of infected among CDT Sidoli Ltd employees. Health chiefs said that, so far, there is "no evidence" of widespread community transmission in the Welshpool area.

Anyone who tests positive should self-isolate for at least 10 days.

Contact tracers from the Test, Trace, Protect programme are also in action, tracing the contacts of people who test positive to put a stop the spread of Coronavirus.

Phil Cummings, Managing Director at CDT Sidoli, confirmed: “We have been working closely with the local health board and county council to help keep our staff and local communities safe, including requesting our 250 staff to have voluntary tests despite the vast majority exhibiting no coronavirus symptoms.

“We already have strong systems and policies in place in our factory which were checked and approved by the Health and Safety Executive last week. The recent cases have provided an opportunity to review and strengthen these further and also to provide learning that can be shared with other workplaces in the county.”

Stuart Bourne, Director of Public Health for Powys Teaching Health Board, said: “We are very grateful to the team at CDT Sidoli Ltd, and to the people in Welshpool, for their quick and wholehearted response to this opportunity to be tested.

“A rapid and co-ordinated response when new cases are identified helps us to contain the spread of coronavirus and to keep Powys safe.

“Based on our testing so far, we are not seeing evidence of widespread community transmission in the Welshpool area.”

Cllr James Evans, Powys County Council's Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Housing and Regulatory Services, added: “We are working with local companies to remind their staff of the importance of social distancing, regular hand washing and avoiding car sharing with people from other households. It is vitally important that everyone maintains these standards outside the workplace in social environments as well.”

The Food Standards Agency advise that it is very unlikely that you can catch coronavirus from food. Covid-19 is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging.