FOOD firm Nestlé has confirmed 29 members of staff have tested positive for Covid at its plant in Fawdon, Newcastle.

A Nestlé spokesperson said: "Between October 16 to 26, we had 29 cases at our Fawdon site and those affected are isolating and receiving treatment where required.

“We are working closely with authorities and continue to follow all advice to reduce the risk of infection.

"Our factories already have strict hygiene measures in place and we have issued extra guidance and implemented additional measures across all of our sites since the very beginning of the pandemic.

“If a case is confirmed, we undertake rigorous contact tracing to ensure we can isolate any other individuals who may have been in close contact in the workplace.

"We have also introduced the additional measure of the mandatory wearing of disposable masks across the factory. Keeping people safe remains our top priority.”