The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Covid-19 case at chicken factory
TAYSIDE: Staff member at 2 Sisters plant now in quarantine
A worker at a Coupar Angus food factory has tested positive for coronavirus.
Bosses at the 2 Sisters plant say robust measures are in place to prevent the virus from spreading.
The revelation came as eight new Covid cases were confirmed in Tayside in the past 24 hours and the Scottish Government came under pressure over the fact dozens of Covid-positive hospital patients were knowingly discharged into care homes at the start of lockdown.
The 2 Sisters employee has gone into quarantine, management said.
The firm made headlines in June when more than 150 workers tested positive at a plant in Wales. A plant spokesman said yesterday: “This is our first case in Scotland since lockdown began, so the business operates as normal with the same robust measures we’ve had in place since March.”
Bosses at a Perthshire chicken factory have confirmed an outbreak of coronavirus.
One worker at the 2 Sisters plant in Coupar Angus has been forced into quarantine after testing positive for the virus.
Management said swift action has been taken to contain the case, insisting that robust safety measures are in place.
Production at the food factory will continue as normal, a spokesman said.
The Scottish Government yesterday confirmed another eight people in Tayside had been diagnosed with coronavirus in the past 24 hours.
There have been 43 new confirmed cases across the country since Saturday – just over one per cent of newly tested cases.
A total of 243 people are in hospital with a confirmed case of the virus, and three people are in intensive care.
A spokesman for the 2 Sisters Food Group confirmed the employee at its Perthshire factory was self-isolating.
“Management quickly followed procedures once the positive case was confirmed to minimise further risk of infection,” he said.
“This is our first case in Scotland since lockdown began, so the business operates as normal with the same robust measures we’ve had in place since March. However, we remain vigilant across the site and have enforced the key messages about compliance and awareness to all colleagues.”
In the early days of lockdown, the 2 Sisters Food Group had strongly rejected accusations that guidelines were not being followed at the George Road plant. It followed complaints from nearby residents who were concerned to see staff not physically distancing at the start and end of their shifts.
Complaints led to a spot check by the Health and Safety Executive and Police Scotland, who ruled that staff were complying with government advice.
In June, the company battled a major outbreak at its chicken factory in Anglesey, where more than 150 workers tested positive for the virus. One employee told of conditions inside the Welsh abattoir, saying they were “scared to breathe” as colleagues “dropped like flies” around them.
Measures taken at the Coupar Angus site include staggered staff breaks and an increased smoking area, as well as new shift patterns to reduce congestion and new entrance and exit routes.
The Food Standards Agency said it was “very unlikely you can catch coronavirus from food” as the virus is a respiratory illness.
Dr Tamasin Knight, consultant in public health medicine for NHS Tayside, said, “NHS Tayside, along with Public Health Scotland and environmental health officers from Perth and Kinross Council, are reviewing the current position as part of a joint investigation into the situation.
“The company involved is part of this active review and all parties are in constant dialogue.”