Sandwell Council 'hopeful' of curbing coronavirus spread after outbreak at DPD site
Council chiefs in Sandwell say they are hopeful of curbing the spread of coronavirus linked to a outbreak at a DPD hub in Oldbury.
A number of staff are self-isolating to help prevent further spread of infection, with more testing planned.
The borough has had one of the highest rates of infection in the country over the past month, with concerns being raised by health chiefs.
Sandwell Council and Public Health England are working with DPD UK to control the virus spread at the site.
Deputy council leader Councillor Maria Crompton praised an early intervention – and thanked the delivery firm for their help.
She said "We got in there early and that's really important. The company has been very helpful and hopefully we can catch this before it spreads.
"That's the main thing for us – making sure we've got the measures in place to test everybody and ensure we can contain it."
Businesses in the borough have been urged to let the council know about any outbreaks, with people asked to remain vigilant.
Sandwell Council said the risk to the general public is small and the risk of catching Covid-19 from parcels remains extremely low.
Dwain McDonald, CEO of DPD, said: "We would like to thank Sandwell Council and Dr Lisa McNally and her team for their speedy and effective response in helping us to manage this situation.
"As you would expect for a major employer in the area, the safety and well-being of our people is our top priority.
"We will continue to work closely with the Public Health team moving forward."
The DPD site off Broadwell Road includes a regional distribution hub as well as a local delivery depot.
Businesses which have two or more coronavirus cases have been urged to let the council know as soon as possible by visiting healthysandwell.co.uk/covid
