Royal Mail closes Barnsley depot again as coronavirus ‘outbreak’ escalates with more positive cases confirmed

Royal Mail has closed its Barnsley delivery office for the second time in two days after more staff members tested positive for coronavirus.

In addition to the Barnsley office, it has also closed the Cudworth and Grimethorpe offices as a precautionary measure, which will mean disruption to the town’s mail deliveries.

The Barnsley office will remain closed until Friday, Royal Mail has confirmed, with mail diverted elsewhere.

It is unknown how many staff members have been found to have the disease, but it is understood some had been identified on Monday, sparking a deep clean of the Pitt Street building while staff waited in the street outside.

The latest closures were ordered today after more staff were revealed as positive cases, with the Health and Safety Executive offering guidance on the scope of cleaning needed.

It remained unclear when the offices would be deemed safe to function again.

Communication Workers Union spokesman Mick Dunlavey said they were working with management “to try to resolve these issues at a very difficult time.

“A specialist team will be in to sanitise and deep clean to HSE specification,” he said.

Many members of staff said they were booking personal coronavirus tests when details of their colleagues’ infections became clear on Monday.