Staff and solicitors 'struck down by Covid' after outbreak at Doncaster court

Staff and solicitors have reportedly been struck down by a coronavirus outbreak at a Doncaster court, forcing a deep clean of the building and workers isolating.
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Doncaster Magistrates Court was closed for a deep clean last week, according to an insider, after a number of ushers, cleaners and office staff all contracted Covid-19.

The claims have been made by an unnamed barrister who has been passed information about the outbreak at the building in College Road.

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We have contacted Doncaster Magistrates Court for further details on coronavirus cases within the building.

Doncaster Magistrates Court.Doncaster Magistrates Court.
Doncaster Magistrates Court.

Twitter user CrimeGirl, who describes herself in a blog as a ‘barrister who specialises in criminal law, military law, disciplinary and inquests’ tweeted: “Staff at Doncaster Magistrates Court are currently isolating because four ushers have Covid. Two solicitors who regularly attend the court have Covid, one touch cleaner and one member of the office staff also have it.

“As a result most of the staff have been "pinged" and are isolating.”

She said that in total, 12 members of staff had been diagnosed with Covid, along with two Doncaster solicitors who regularly attend hearings at the court but ‘there could be more.’

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After a positive test on January 18, staff were alerted by Test and Trace, with a deep clean of the building reportedly taking place last Thursday.

The court has a number of anti-Covid measures in place within the building.

These include face masks being worn, socially distanced seating areas within waiting areas and court rooms themselves, as well as hand sanitiser points.

In a later tweet she wrote: “Staff do not feel safe. They are scared. They do not want to catch Covid. They feel their pleas have gone ignored and that it is too late.”

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Courts across Britain have remained open during the coronavirus pandemic, although the judicial system is facing a massive backlog of cases.

Yesterday, Labour called for juries to be cut from 12 members to seven, to stem the "gravest crisis" in the justice system since World War Two to clear the backlog of thousands of cases.

Shadow justice minister David Lammy argued that smaller juries and the use of more temporary courts would allow socially distanced trials.

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