Greater Manchester McDonald’s shuts after coronavirus outbreak among staff

The Stockport town centre branch of McDonald’s has closed after five members of staff tested positive for coronavirus. 

A McDonald’s spokesperson said: “We have proactively decided to temporarily close our Stockport restaurant as a precautionary measure following a rise of Covid-19 cases in the local area with five of our employees testing positive.

“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.”

Stockport’s coronavirus infection rate has more than tripled from 8.2 infections per 100,000 on July 22nd to 26 per 100,000 people a week later.

Stockport MP Navendu Mishra tweeted explaining that worried staff at the McDonald’s on Wellington Road South had contacted him to inform of an outbreak among workers.

He added: “I have contacted management & discussed with @FastfoodRights @bfawu1how best to protect workers and our community.

“Health must come before profit.”

McDonald’s responded with: “The safety of our people is our absolute priority. On Sunday we proactively closed this restaurant following a local rise in COVID-19 cases, including five employees who reported to us that they had tested positive.”

Adding: “We contacted all staff, asked them to self-isolate and advised on how to get tested, and we are working with Public Health England & the local Environmental Health Officer.”