10 June
Defence company Babcock International has said that all of its active sites in the UK are complying with the government’s guidance on Covid-19 risk management. Over the last few months, the company’s major sites were kept open to deliver required support for critical operations. The company noted that a number of employees in the UK are continuing to work from home. Babcock said in a statement: “The safety and wellbeing of our employees remains our prime concern.”
The South African Air Force (SAAF) has announced that its Pretoria headquarters will remain temporarily shut until further notice after two members tested Covid-19 positive. The building has been evacuated. SAAF was quoted by IOL as saying: “As a precautionary measure, the building was closed on Tuesday until further notice to allow for the necessary decontamination processes to take place as required by the health protocols.” The country moved to level 3 of the Covid-19 nationwide lockdown from 1 June.
The US Department of Defense (DoD) and Health & Human Services have selected Corning Valor Glass vials for the delivery of Covid-19 vaccines. Corning will serve as a packaging provider for Covid-19 vaccines and treatments. As part of this, the company will receive $204m investment from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to expand its Valor Glass’ tubing and vial manufacturing assets at three US facilities. The plants are located in Big Flats, New York; Durham, North Carolina; and Vineland, New Jersey.
