Covid-19 outbreak at Newcastle Royal Mail delivery office as six staff test positive

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https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/no ... l-19696071

A Royal Mail delivery office in Newcastle has been deep cleaned after an outbreak of Covid-19 among staff.

The service confirmed that six employees from the Heaton site had tested positive for the virus, and more were self-isolating.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said the office had since an “intensive clean” with “additional cleaning of key touch points and communal areas”.

They added that throughout the pandemic they had “put the health of our people and customers first".

The spokesperson said a “range of preventive measures” were in place to protect customers and employees.

A Royal Mail spokesperson said: “Royal Mail takes the health and safety of its colleagues, its customers and the local communities in which we operate very seriously.

“There are currently six colleagues that have tested positive for coronavirus at Heaton Delivery Office. We wish them a speedy recovery.

“Some colleagues are also self-isolating. We have carried out an intensive clean of the site and have organised additional cleaning of key touch points and all communal areas.

“We are keeping the CWU, PHE and colleagues updated.”

They added: “Throughout this crisis, every decision we make puts the health of our people and customers first.

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“We have put in place a range of preventive measures to protect both our customers and our colleagues.

“We were the first UK company to put in place social-distancing measures in relation to parcel delivery.

“We pioneered contact-free delivery. We are temporarily not handing over our hand-held devices to customers to capture signatures.


“As well as encouraging good hand hygiene, standard ways of working have been revised to ensure that colleagues maintain appropriate social distancing at all times.

“All staff have been briefed about the social distancing measures jointly agreed by local management and the CWU.

“This has been supplemented with visible reminders such as posters and one-way floor markings."