Ocado buys 100,000 coronavirus testing kits for its staff

The online supermarket has spent £1.5 million on the kits to regularly test its 30,000 staff and meet a record surge in demand for home deliveries.

Online food retailer Ocado has bought 100,000 coronavirus test kits for its workers.

The online supermarket has spent £1.5 million on the kits to regularly test its 30,000 staff – who are classed as ‘key workers’ – and meet a record surge in demand for home deliveries.

Ocado did not confirm where the testing kits were bought from, but the Guardian reports they came ‘from suppliers in China’.

The paper said it had established the tests cost £15 each, far cheaper than most other kits, which can sell for as much as £375 online.

An Ocado spokesperson told Metro.co.uk: ‘A process is in place to test the quality and efficacy of the kits before they are rolled out to our frontline staff.’

Ocado added the NHS remains a priority in the national coronavirus effort and kits will be made available to the health service if they are required.

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A spokesman for the Union of Shop Distributive & Allied Workers (Usdaw), which represents Ocado workers, said: ‘While recognising the company’s intentions, Usdaw continues to advise members to observe the necessary hygiene and social distancing advice from Government, regardless of any test results.’

Despite the government claiming it is ramping up testing, about 8,000 people were tested every day in the seven days up to April 1.

A total of 152,979 people have been tested for coronavirus in the UK, with 29,474 cases confirmed as positive.

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