British Airways baggage handlers test positive for coronavirus

Two British Airways baggage handlers have tested positive for Covid-19, the airline has confirmed.

The men are based at Heathrow Airport, west London.

A spokesman for the airline said: “Public Health England has confirmed that two members of our staff have tested positive for the Covid-19 virus.

“The colleagues have been isolated and are recovering at home.”

Baggage handlers work in teams and are responsible for loading, unloading and transporting luggage at airports.

They do not generally have any interaction with passengers.

British Airways is one of many airlines which has offered unpaid leave to their employees, amid a drop in passenger demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.

It has cancelled hundreds of flights on routes to New York and short-haul destinations across Europe.

The airline said in a statement: “We continue to closely monitor the situation, and as a precaution we are taking steps to control the costs in our business.”