Probe after six staff test positive at Covid testing site

An investigation was launched into procedures at a walk-in Covid testing site in Inverness after six staff tested positive for coronavirus.

The site was closed on Saturday evening after one member received a result on Friday night and then further employees were also found to have the virus.

One team of 13 staff is now self-isolating as a precaution.

Site operators Mitie say there is a daily briefing on site covering infection control and behaviours, with a zero-tolerance approach to anyone not following the rules.

The site, at a car park in Highland Council headquarters in the city, is a walk-up centre, where members of the public are issued with kits to test themselves for Covid-19.

It was deep-cleaned and reopened this morning following an investigation into the outbreak by Mitie and NHS Highland.

A spokeswoman for Mitie said “The safety of our employees and members of the public is our utmost priority.

“As a precaution all colleagues in this team are now self-isolating and every employee on site is receiving additional training on PPE, social distancing and Test & Trace procedure.”

She said contact between the public and employees on site is minimal and always at two metres or more, with mask-wearing observed.

Mitie operates a number of other test sites in the Highlands on behalf of the UK Government.