Northumbrian Water has launched its own a pilot Covid testing programme for its employees to “limit the spread of disease between teams and helping to protect employees working in vital roles.”
Working closely with NHS Test and Trace, Defra and WaterUK, the company is testing for asymptomatic infection on a voluntary basis for some 600 employees. It said it was focusing on people working in teams delivering essential water and wastewater services, as well as those working directly with customers. Volunteers will be able to choose between testing once or twice a week.
The programme began on January 22 and will run for four weeks.
According to Northumbrian, the project will help NHS Test and Trace “to identify and understand positive cases on a greater scale.”
Wastewater director at Northumbrian Water, Richard Warneford, said “We are delighted to have been given the opportunity to lead the water industry in this trial.” Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for Health Protection, said: “The work of Northumbrian Water will be essential in helping us explore the benefits of new testing technology.’
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