Council confirms there is no outbreak in Keighley after Matt Hancock 'confuses' area

A council in West Yorkshire has reassured the public that there has not been a coronavirus outbreak in the area after the Health Secretary Matt Hanock told the BBC that there had been.

Mr Hancock appeared on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday, June 30 to discuss the local lockdown in Leicester.

During this, he said that there had been an outbreak in a "factory" in Keighley in Bradford.

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Comparing the decision to impose lockdown in Leicester to approaches in other areas, Mr Hancock said: "We also went into the factories and workplaces were there was an outbreak.

"These much more targeted efforts have worked in other areas.

"We had an outbreak in Keighley that was dealt with by shutting a factory there, we've had an outbreak in Weston-super-Mare that we've dealt with by shutting a hospital there to new admissions.

"We've been taking this highly-localised approach."

Social media users expressed their confusion and concerns about the Keighley "outbreak" online.

A security guard at Kober meat processing plant in Cleckheaton, that was confirmed as the location of a localised coronavirus outbreak, in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. Photo: PAA security guard at Kober meat processing plant in Cleckheaton, that was confirmed as the location of a localised coronavirus outbreak, in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. Photo: PA
A security guard at Kober meat processing plant in Cleckheaton, that was confirmed as the location of a localised coronavirus outbreak, in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire. Photo: PA
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However, Bradford Council shut down concerns and suggested that Mr Hancock had confused with a different area.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: "Just to calm everyone down a bit… There's no new COVID-19 spike in Keighley.

"Matt Hancock confused Keighley with a different area on TV and radio this morning.

"Please keep maintaining social distance & washing hands so we don’t need to announce a local outbreak in the future."

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There was a confirmed outbreak of Covid-19 at a meat packing factory in Cleckheaton, also in West Yorkshire, earlier this month.

A total of 165 people have tested positive for the virus.

The Kober plant in Cleckheaton, which is owned by Asda, was closed after the cluster emerged.