GARDEN waste collections in Wokingham have been suspended for the third time this month after bin workers were hit by a Covid-19 outbreak.

Around 40 per cent of Veolia bin workers in Wokingham are off work after several tested positive and their close contacts were told to self-isolate.

Wokingham Borough Council says garden waste will not be collected between Tuesday, January 19, and Monday, January 25, and there will be “no catch up”.

The council, which pays Veolia to collect bins, says general waste, recycling and food waste collections will continue.

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In a statement, it added: “If your garden waste bin is currently at the kerbside and has not been collected by the end of the day, please take it back in and hold onto it until your next collection day.

“Those who are signed up for garden waste are getting two additional collection dates compared to a normal year. It’s hoped most residents are not missed more than once.

“You should assume collections will restart on Monday, January 25, and garden waste should be presented if you are due a collection then.”

According to the latest figures, 6,684 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Wokingham during the pandemic.

The infection rate stands at 366.4 cases per 100,000, after 687 new cases were recorded over a seven-day period.