You idiots! Workers at chicken factory in illicit bash
WORKERS who threw an illegal party during a second mass coronavirus outbreak at a chicken factory have been branded ‘idiotic’ by Scotland’s Deputy First Minister.
John Swinney, the local MSP for the 2Sisters factory, said the Hogmanay party was ‘indefensible’ as positive cases at the site in Coupar Angus, Perthshire, rose to 30.
Footage of the illicit house party emerged and featured around 15 staff known to work at the plant where 200 people caught Covid19 during the first outbreak in August.
Staff caught attending the party were aware there had been a new outbreak before the New Year as it had been confirmed there had been seven positive cases.
Health chiefs claimed the outbreak was under control hours before the illegal gathering, but cases have since shot up and at least 30 positive tests have now been returned.
The party – staged at a flat in Coupar Angus – shows a gathering of more than a dozen people having an outdoor barbecue before continuing indoors with music and drinks.
The footage was supplied to a local newspaper by a concerned member of the public, although the party was not reported to the police at the time. The people attending were identified by neighbours and other factory workers as staff at the firm, from a number of different households.
Mr Swinney yesterday described the incident as ‘a hugely regrettable breach of the current guidance’.
He said: ‘The actions of those in attendance at the party are idiotic and utterly indefensible, particularly as we are seeing rising cases across the region.
‘Following such a breach, it is vital that the correct public health protocols are followed to minimise the risk to others in the community.’ The leader of Perth and Kinross Council, Murray Lyle, called revelations about the party ‘very disappointing’.
On Wednesday, NHS Tayside confirmed the second outbreak had reached 30 and it is understood that upwards of 70 people linked to the factory are self-isolating.