THE number of people who have tested positive for coronavirus at a Devizes cake factory has risen to seven.

Earlier this week Bakkavor on the Hopton Industrial Estate said less than one per cent of its 540 employees had the virus.

The Gazette was told on Tuesday, by an employee, that the number with coronavirus was five and the BBC reported it was four.

But today Kate Blackburn, Director of Public Health, Wiltshire Council, said: “Seven employees at Bakkavor Desserts Devizes have now tested positive for COVID-19."

A spokesman for the company said: "Whilst we have a relatively small number of positive cases – seven employees out of the 540 people employed at the site - we are concerned that these numbers are slowly rising, and we are working closely with Public Health England to manage and understand this."

The Gazette was told that those who first tested positive had been bussed to work in Devizes from Swindon where there has been worries about a high number of new cases.

Ms Blackburn added: "The factory has followed the correct reporting procedures throughout the outbreak, and we have been working closely with colleagues at Bakkavor and Public Health England South West to ensure good control measures have been implemented.

“The cases have been managed appropriately and any contacts identified are now self-isolating for 14 days in line with government guidance. It is important to remind people that if they are self-isolating they must isolate for the full 14 days, even if they do not display any symptoms or if they are tested and receive a negative result.

“We would like to reassure people living and working in Wiltshire that while we do expect to see more small outbreaks of this nature in the weeks and months ahead, we have robust mechanisms in place to contain the infection and protect the health of the local community.”

A spokesman for Bakkavor said: "The health and safety of our colleagues has and always will be our foremost priority.

"Bakkavor is one of a small number of businesses that has remained open for business through this unprecedented time. Due to the nature of our business, we already have high standards of hygiene, Good Manufacturing Practice and handwashing in place.

"As soon as COVID-19 started to threaten our colleagues, visitors and sites, we developed a Coronavirus Management Strategy based on specific COVID-19 risk assessments. We implemented control measures based on Government, Public Health England and HSE guidance and put further measures in place including enhanced handwashing, social distancing, screens, visors, temperature screening, touch point cleaning and self-certification on being fit to work.

"With the easing of the lockdown, people are socialising and travelling more in their free time, and every business is exposed to some element of risk that staff members will test positive for Covid-19. The stringent controls we have in place significantly minimise this more than many businesses in other industry sectors and we are working hard to stress to all our colleagues to be equally careful outside of work to control the transmission of the virus."

PHE have been and continue to be very supportive of the measures we have taken. As a responsible food manufacturing business, we will continue to be disciplined in our approach to this pandemic with the health and safety of our colleagues at the forefront of this.

Kate Blackburn, Director of Public Health, Wiltshire Council, said: “Seven employees at Bakkavor Desserts Devizes have now tested positive for COVID-19. The factory has followed the correct reporting procedures throughout the outbreak, and we have been working closely with colleagues at Bakkavor and Public Health England South West to ensure good control measures have been implemented.

“The cases have been managed appropriately and any contacts identified are now self-isolating for 14 days in line with government guidance. It is important to remind people that if they are self-isolating they must isolate for the full 14 days, even if they do not display any symptoms or if they are tested and receive a negative result.

“We would like to reassure people living and working in Wiltshire that while we do expect to see more small outbreaks of this nature in the weeks and months ahead, we have robust mechanisms in place to contain the infection and protect the health of the local community.”