Greggs halt production at North East factory after outbreak of Covid-19 among staff

Greggs has stopped all production at it Balliol Business Park site, in Longbenton, and a date for when staff will return has not yet been announced.

Bakery bosses made the decision to close the site and are working with the local Health Protection Team to ensure ‘we minimise any possible impact on the wider community in Newcastle and the surrounding areas.

The factory will be deep cleaned before it reopens.

The national bakery chain says it does not foresee any stock shortages in shops as a result of the closure at this time.

Newcastle is among a number of local authority areas in the North East to have new restrictions imposed as part of a local lockdown – which was implemented on Friday, September 18.

A spokesman for Greggs said: “Following a small number of colleagues having tested positive for COVID-19 at our Balliol manufacturing facility, we have taken the decision to temporarily stop production as a precautionary measure to keep our teams as safe as possible.

"We are now working closely with the local Health Protection Team to ensure that we minimise any possible impact to the wider community in Newcastle and the surrounding areas.

"We do not foresee any stock shortages in our shops at this time.”

The chain closed its stores when the national lockdown was imposed in March and began reopening bakeries to the public from mid June.

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