COUNCIL leaders hope the Government will take on board what is learned from their response to the coronavirus outbreak at a farm in Herefordshire.

The Covid-19 outbreak at Rook Row Farm in Mathon is the first of its kind in the UK.

Herefordshire Council chief executive Alistair Neill believes there will probably be other similar outbreaks across the country.

“It’s really important to note that across the country outbreaks have been expected as we’ve moved from a lockdown to a recovery phase in which people move around more openly.

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“We are sharing the learning coming out of this particular outbreak with the different agencies of government.

“I’m very keen to present to the Government the options that might be a better way of managing than the approach that is in place by the Government right now."

“It’s the first such large outbreak on a farm in Britain involving key workers from overseas, so this almost inevitable attracted a great deal of national and international media attention – not all of it helpful in our essential work to contain the infection on the farm and support everybody there."

He said the owners of the farm Mr & Mrs Green have been extremely cooperative with all the measures taken to contain the virus on the site.

"We very much appreciate this. Indeed, it is vital as we must all work together in the case of any outbreak, employers, employees, the community, and the public services in our county."