A second employee at a virus-hit food factory that prepares salads for Marks & Spencer has died after contracting Covid-19.

On Tuesday it was revealed one worker at Tilmanstone Salads died after testing positive for the virus and scores of workers are off with the virus or self isolating.

Bakkavor, the company that owns the factory has confirmed the sad news of the second death this morning and said the member of staff had been away from the workplace since November 11.

A spokesman said: "We can confirm that very sadly a second employee of Bakkavor Tilmanstone has died following a positive test for Covid at a time when the county has been put into tier 3 Covid controls.

"This member of staff had been away from the workplace since 11 November and reported in for sick leave following a period of annual leave.

"Our thoughts are with the family who we are supporting at this difficult time, and we would ask that their privacy is respected."

Last night it said on-site testing will begin next week at the site in Millyard Way, Eythorne.

Tilmanstone Salads is a large employer in the Deal, Dover and Sandwich area, employing some 900 people, historically a mixture of permanent staff and temporary agency workers.

The on-site testing comes after unions this week called for the factory to close for a deep clean and greater safety measures for workers.

Updated figures released last night by Bakkavor revealed 65 colleagues were off work having tested positive and an additional 68 were self isolating.

This figure is different from that given on Tuesday (70 positive and 69 isolating) and Bakkavor is yet to confirm a precise break down.

The GMB Union claimed on Tuesday that cases more than doubled from 35 in the third week of the month to 79 by the end of the month.

Last night the Bakkavor spokesman said: "As a business, we have fully followed PHE guidelines for the duration of the pandemic.

"We are currently working closely with Public Health England (PHE) South East and Kent County Council to monitor the situation and we will take whatever appropriate action is necessary to limit the spread of Covid-19 and to ensure that our staff on site are safe.

"We will follow PHE advice and, if and when further steps need to be taken, we will communicate any new developments.

"We already have extensive Covid-19 controls in place in line with government guidance, and we also run our own internal track and trace process – from which we report cases to PHE South East..."

"As a food manufacturing business, our base level of health and hygiene controls are very stringent. Added to this, we already have extensive Covid-19 controls in place in line with government guidance, and we also run our own internal track and trace process – from which we report cases to PHE South East.

"With the recent rise in cases, we have been re-briefing staff on the workplace controls that need to be followed and also of the importance of taking personal responsibility in following all the Covid-19 guidelines outside the workplace. We also have Covid-19 marshals in the business that manage adherence to strict workplace procedures and monitor safety for those car sharing, where we issue face masks.

"Following discussions with PHE South East and Kent County Council over the last week, we are commencing an on-site testing programme for all staff, which will begin next week.

"Today we have been working with Kent County Council and other relevant agencies and can confirm that we have all the necessary testing equipment and resources in place for this to go ahead.

"In addition to our daily factory hygiene processes for food safety, and in line with our enhanced Covid-19 management controls, we twice-weekly virucidal clean our production areas (which is designed to eliminate viruses). Touch points are also disinfected throughout all shifts including offices, ancillary areas and workshops and hand sanitisers are available in all production and amenity areas. We have also organised for a specialist company to carry out a certified enhanced chemical clean of the amenity block, including changing rooms, canteens, toilets and offices to take place today as part of our Covid-19 management controls.

"The wellbeing of our people in the workplace is of paramount importance to us and we have worked hard throughout the pandemic to help maintain food supply to the nation at a critical time, while looking after the safety of our colleagues.

Philip West, business director of salads at Bakkavor, added: “We continue to work very hard to maintain a safe working environment and we would like to thank PHE South East and Kent County Council for their invaluable support in recent weeks. While Covid cases remain high in the county and Kent has been put in tier three from today, everyone has a part to play and beyond working hard to ensure our site is safe, we are reminding all staff to be safe outside the workplace. This involves adhering to social distancing measures, washing hands regularly and wearing a face mask as per national guidance.”

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