Kober worker fears number of infected will rise
SHUT AFTER COVID-19 OUTBREAK
A MAN who works at the Kober Ltd meat processing plant which was forced to shut after a major coronavirus outbreak has given a compelling insight into what happened.
The site, which is based at an industrial estate in Hunsworth, near Cleckheaton, was placed under the national media spotlight when Health Secretary Matt Hancock casually mentioned there had been a Covid outbreak in Kirklees during his briefing of journalists on live TV on Thursday.
Although he didn’t name the site where it happened, it only took a few hours before the identity of the plant, which produces bacon for Asda became known.
The man, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: “I saw that it had been said that up to 150 employees had tested positive for coronavirus but I think the figure will be a lot higher. There must be at least 350 people working at that plant.
“I tested positive for it myself so that was a scary moment but fortunately I appear to have only mild symptoms.
“But my wife was panicking when I told her because of the possibility that other members of our family and friends could have been infected.
“Although I think the company has done a decent job in providing
PPE and trying to enforce social distancing it’s not been easy as you have so many people working in such a small area.
“And a lot of our employees are Polish so there are obvious communication problems.
“It’s a fairly close-knit plant too as a lot of people got their jobs through knowing other members of staff and people often travel to work together too so there’s plenty of opportunities for the virus to be transmitted.
“And you are stood so close to one another whichever shift you are on.”
And he says he has no qualms about returning there a week after next saying he has to work to provide for his family.
The outbreak at Kober, which is owned by Asda, led to cross words being exchanged between veteran Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman and the leader of Kirklees Council, Shabir Pandor, after Mr Sheerman said the council had not provided him with enough detailed information about the outbreak.
Clr Pandor denied keeping people in the dark over the outbreak.