Council gas staff are struck by covid

A number of Renfrewshire Council gas engineers have tested positive for Covid-19.

More than 20 staff from the local authority’s Building Services team have been ordered to self-isolate for 14 days.

It’s understood workers were pulled into a meeting with department bosses on Tuesday to be told the news.

Other engineers have been drafted in to allow essential works to continue.

It is not known where the group contracted the deadly virus or how many homes they visited before being diagnosed - but track and trace efforts are now underway.

The news comes as First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced fresh restrictions on three council areas neighbouring Renfrewshire.

Nearly 800,000 residents in East Renfrewshire, Glasgow and West Dunbartonshire will not be allowed to visit other households after a flurry of fresh cases.

The mini- lockdown will last two weeks, with a review in seven days.

To date, track and trace experts have been called into four Renfrewshire schools including Todholm Primary, in Paisley, Wallace Primary, in Elderslie, St James’ Primary, in Renfrew and Castlehead High in Paisley.

All cases were detected within four days, but none of them are understood to have been linked, with all affected people said to have contracted the virus through clusters in the community, as opposed to the school setting.

Renfrewshire Council refused to comment on the latest outbreak when contacted by the Express.