STAFF at a Worcester supermarket are isolating after a Covid outbreak hit the store.

Tesco has confirmed a number of staff at its Warndon superstore have had to self-isolate following positive coronavirus tests.

Though a Tesco spokesman would not say how many staff had tested positive, it was reported there were as many as 12 cases.

A spokesman said: “Some colleagues at our Warndon superstore are self-isolating after a small number of colleagues tested positive for Covid-19. The safety of our colleagues, customers and suppliers remains our number one priority and we are following all Government guidance and working with local public health authorities.

“We have extensive measures across all of our stores to help keep everyone safe, including a traffic light system at the front of store, protective screens at every checkout, social distancing signage and regular cleaning.”

The news comes after new data shows the Covid-19 infection rate in the county is the highest it has been at any point during the pandemic. In the week up to December 29 it was 287.2 cases per 100,000 people.

Public Health England data only shows infection rates in Worcestershire from October 5 with the previous highest infection rate at 249.4 cases per 100,000 people on November 11.

Figures showed between 60 and 80 daily cases were recorded during the first peak in April with figures in October reaching between 80 and 170 cases a day compared to daily highs of more than 500 at the end of December.

A total of 529 cases were recorded on December 29 and 419 on December 30 with daily cases in Worcestershire staying largely above 150 throughout the month and moving to 200-plus in the latest week of data available.

Public health staff from Worcestershire County Council are working with the Tesco in the wake of the cases, with Dr. Kathryn Cobain, director for public health, saying: “We are aware of a Covid-19 outbreak at Tesco in Warndon. Worcestershire Outbreak Response Team are working with Public Health England to offer Tesco appropriate advice and support, and to ensure correct measures are being taken to control the situation.”