The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
‘Wall of silence’ at Covid-hit factory
ANGUS: Pig plant bosses tight-lipped on details of outbreak
Angus community leaders have aired increasing frustration over a “wall of silence” surrounding Brechin’s coronavirus-hit pig processing plant.
It is understood the positive case tally at the Quality Pork Processors facility may be rising towards 30 but bosses have yet to make a statement.
NHS Tayside put an Incident Management Team in place last week after numbers quickly rose to 19 affected workers. Community representatives said staff have contacted them over fears for their health and jobs.
Meanwhile, an outbreak has been confirmed in a non-covid ward at Ninewells Hospital.
Community anger is growing over the “wall of silence” surrounding what is becoming the largest single Angus coronavirus outbreak since the start of the pandemic.
Brechin community figures have said a lack of information over the situation at the town’s abattoir has left locals fearful for their health and jobs.
Their frustration came after claims a confirmed total of 19 Covid-19 cases at the Quality Pork Processors (QPP) plant last Friday may now have escalated to 30 staff.
Despite repeated approaches, QPP has issued no public statement on the situation at the Montrose Road slaughterhouse.
The factory was first contacted last Wednesday when suggestions of a handful of confirmed cases emerged.
NHS Tayside provided the first accurate information on the scale of the outbreak when it confirmed the involvement of an incident management team (IMT) on Friday after the number of positives spiralled.
Health bosses said the next QPP IMT is to be held tomorrow and an update will be provided following the meeting.
Suggestions the plant, which processes thousands of pigs each week, is being temporarily closed remain unconfirmed by its operators at this stage.
The factory could not be contacted yesterday.
However, Councillor Gavin Nicol said he had received a string of weekend calls from concerned employees and their families.
“Those who have contacted me are firmly of the view that they don’t think the company took this seriously enough from early in the week,” said the Brechin and Edzell councillor.
“They are not keeping workers updated about what is happening so it seems to be just rumour at this stage they have closed for two weeks.”
Mr Nicol added: “One worker who contacted me has family with serious underlying health issues so you can imagine how concerned they were about how quickly this seems to have spread.
“This is not just about a single factory in Brechin, there are people travelling together and going home to families who have people working in other places and other towns.
“There seems to be a wall of silence about what has been going on and what steps have been taken.”
Brechin community council chairwoman Jill Scott said she had also received a number of approaches from concerned staff or family members.
“From last midweek onwards the handling of this whole situation seems to have been a disaster,” she said.
“But from the early stages of this situation it appears the figures being suggested were accurate.
“That gave the community cause for concern and it should have been the same with regard to the running of the plant.
“I have spoken directly to two staff members who now have Covid-19 and their fear is that this has been allowed to escalate because of the lack of swift action. I have also been told staff who were left were also having to work equipment which they would not normally use. Surely that puts them at a health and safety risk.”
She added: “Staff are frightened to speak out. They are frightened to go to their union and they don’t know if they are going to have a job to go back to.
“There is no question the company’s handling of the situation has been very poor and it appears to have damaged their reputation in the community.”
Meanwhile, NHS Tayside has confirmed it is dealing with a coronavirus outbreak in a non-covid ward at Ninewells Hospital.
A spokesperson said: “NHS Tayside’s Infection Prevention and Control Team is investigating a small number of cases of Covid-19 in connection to ward 10.”