24 staff at Sunderland medical equipment factory test positive for Covid

Connor Solutions Ltd, based in Rainton Bridge, have confirmed that 24 staff members are off work after they all tested positive for Coronavirus.

The business, which manufactures electronic assemblies used in vital hospital equipment, was among those in Wearside who stepped up operations in response to the outbreak of the pandemic last year.

It ramped up production of life critical ventilators, respirators, and infusion pumps to assist NHS frontline staff and healthcare professionals worldwide.

The firm, which has 185 staff, also took on a temporary workforce in 2020 following a significant increase in orders from global medical customers.

Confirming the Covid cases at the firm, Chief Executive Dermot Guerin has said the business is continuing to operate, but that it has affected its production output by 10%.

Attributing the cases to the ‘Christmas period’ and having a more transmissible strain of the virus, Mr Guerin said the firm was ‘proactive’ in its efforts to keep staff safe.

“We have 24 staff off work with Covid who work across different departments” Mr Guerin said.

"The vast majority are from production [and] they are all isolating.

"The first case was just after Christmas on January 8.

"It will impact production this month but the vast majority of people will be back next week and we have been in touch with customers.

"The most important thing is that of the 24 people affected, none have had serious symptoms.”

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