MAC ATTACK
McDonald’s store hit by coronavirus outbreak as 5 staff catch bug in Midlands borough rocked by ‘TEN-fold’ rise in cases
FIVE McDonald's workers have tested positive for coronavirus after an outbreak at a store in the West Midlands.
Bosses have shut the fast-food outlet in Great Bridge, Sandwell, after the fast food workers became infected amid a near ten-fold rise in local cases.
⚠️ Read our coronavirus live blog for the latest news & updates
4
4
Following a dramatic surge in Covid-19 cases over the past week public health bosses warned the borough was "halfway" to a local lockdown.
Positive cases have now rocketed to almost ten times the rate of last month with Sandwell now suffering the seventh highest number of weekly infections in the UK, 30.9 cases per 100,000 people.
The council has set up its own contact tracing team to battle the spread of the disease.
Ninety people have tested positive in the past seven days with Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell's director of public health, warning the next few weeks are crucial.
LOCKDOWN FEARS
She said: "We have had 90 cases in the last week - that's approaching ten times the rate we saw in June, when rates were very low.
"If it continues to rise at that rate over the next two to three weeks, we will be looking at a full lockdown.
"It is the Government that decides we have reached a level that requires a local lockdown - and rates would have to go higher, but not much higher.
"It's a serious situation."
The borough's public health boss warned people to avoid social gatherings during Eid to avoid restrictions being reimposed.
4
4
The shutdown comes as Britain's coronavirus death toll rose today by 83 to 45,961 and the number of new cases across the UK grew for the second consecutive Wednesday.
Another 763 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the last 24 hours, bringing the total number of positive tests in the UK to 301,455.
Last Wednesday, 79 deaths were recorded with previous Wednesdays seeing 85, 126 and 176 respectively in recent weeks.
The number of infections has grown by 36 per cent on the same time last week after 560 were recorded last Wednesday and 538 the previous week.
It is the Government that decides we have reached a level that requires a local lockdown - and rates would have to go higher, but not much higher. It's a serious situation.
Dr Lisa McNally, Sandwell's director of public health
However the number of new cases remains similar to recent days, with the figure only dropping below 650 yesterday and last Wednesday.
The total rate of infection remains highest in the North West of England with 626.5 per 100,000 population.
Meanwhile, punters who drank in a pub where "200 people" were crammed together "like sardines" are being urged to get tested after a coronavirus outbreak.
Health officials have said anyone who was at The Crown and Anchor in Stone, Staffordshire between July 16 and 18 should get tested after 10 people tested positive for the bug.
Most read in News
Following today's Sandwell outbreak, a spokesman for McDonald's said: "We have proactively decided to temporarily close our Great Bridge restaurant as a precautionary measure following a rise of COVID-19 cases in the local area with five of our employees testing positive.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
"We have been in contact with all the restaurant employees and also with Public Health England and the Environmental Health Officer.
"As with all of the decisions we have made across this unprecedented period, the safety of our people and customers is our absolute priority, and we will re-open as soon as we feel we can.”
Hundreds queue for coronavirus tests in Staffordshire outbreak town where '200 people crammed into pub like sardines'
Topics