Corona current
Ice factory outbreak – 600 employees in quarantine
© Aleksandr Kurganov / Shutterstock
Another corona outbreak in a large company. There are already more than 200 infected people in an ice cream factory in Osnabrück.
Lately there have been increasing reports of corona mass outbreaks in factories. Now an ice cream maker in Osnabrück has been hit. As reported by several media outlets, more than 200 employees tested positive for the virus in an ice cream factory operated by Froneri. According to NDR.de, around 600 employees are in quarantine.
Corona: British mutant among infected people
The first cases had surfaced late last week, whereupon production immediately stopped and the factory closed. According to the company's own statements, the virus spread "as fast as an arrow" among employees. A test center for employees has already been set up in the factory.
City spokesman Sven Jürgensen told NDR.de: "So far we have had mild or slight progression. But we are still alarmed because the British mutation has occurred in at least two of those affected." It is still unclear how the virus got into the factory in the first place. This is now to be examined in detail. "That is a central question. But it is still too early to say anything about the origin," said Jürgensen.
Who is Froneri?
Froneri is a joint venture in the field of ice cream, frozen food and chilled dairy products and was founded in October 2016. The company is one of the largest ice cream manufacturers in the world and bundles the well-known brands Nestlé Schöller, R&R Ice Cream and Erlenbacher under one roof in Germany. The location in Osnabrück, one of the largest ice cream factories in Europe, is not due to reopen until February 26 after the incidents.
Sources: NDR.de, Spiegel Online
Do you want to exchange ideas with others on the subject of Corona? Then have a look at our community! You can find more articles on the pandemic in our special: Coronavirus.