Eleven JLR workers test positive for coronavirus

JAGUAR Land Rover has been hit by a major coronavirus outbreak with 11 workers now testing positive.

A whistleblower revealed a section of paint shop co-workers at the Solihull plant were among those diagnosed with Covid-19 in the past week.

Many other workers have self-isolated, but exact figures remain unclear.

It was understood 15 members of staff were advised to self-isolate after one person was first confirmed positive last week.

Last Thursday

confirmed

cases had risen to four and on Tuesday that number had jumped to 11.

Dr Steve Iley, JLR’s chief medical officer, said: “The health, safety and well-being of the Jaguar Land Rover family is our primary concern.

“We have developed robust protocol and guidelines to ensure effective social distancing, hygiene and health monitoring measures are in place across all our sites and are Covid secure.

“A small number of employees based at our Solihull manufacturing facility have tested positive for Covid-19 and are self-isolating.

“Through contact tracing and working in conjunction with Public Health England, we have identified anyone who has been in close contact with those individuals at work and they are also self-isolating.”

The company said last week that other employees who may have come into contact with the first confirmed cases were self-isolating.

A source said of the latest figures: “One worker initially tested positive and then everyone he worked with was sent home to self-isolate.”

When production began at the plant after lockdown, strict measures were put in place to protect workers’ health. These included temperature checks, two metre distance markers, face visors in sections where that is not possible, introduction of oneway systems in plants, enhanced cleaning regimes and hand sanitisers.

The source said: “To give them their due, the company has put a lot of measures in place. There are even numbered wash basins that correspond with numbered toilets to use. “There are lots of masks and hand gel. If people work close together they have to wear masks.”