The growing number of virus clusters in meat plants in the Republic of Ireland and the death of a Moy Park factory worker in Northern Ireland is leading to concerns about the impact of the virus on communities.

The Department of Health has confirmed there are now 12 cluster in meat factories in ROI with 571 confirmed linked cases and 12 cases hospitalised.

Unite has called for the temporary closure of meat plants

Union Unite, has warned the Government of Northern Ireland that the lack of extensive testing of workers is leading to a crisis that is already spilling over into local communities.

Unite has called for the temporary closure of meat plants while worker testing is carried out. It has warned that failing to do so could result in a problem similar to that in the US, where meat factories face a deluge of COVID-19 cases.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands there are similar concerns for communities in the Republic of Ireland.

While factories have established protocols including PPE, Perspex screens and staggered breaks to reduce the risk of infection, many employees still live and travel to work together. This leads to an increased risk of the virus spreading outside the workplace.

A National Outbreak Control Team established by the HSE to investigate the clusters in meat plants met last week

While the Department did not name the factories where clusters had occurred, the Irish Farmers Journal is aware of issues with several plants around the country and, although it can’t be assumed to be the main factor, HSE figures for the county areas indicate a high virus rate.

A National Outbreak Control Team established by the HSE to investigate the clusters in meat plants met last week. Local teams were sent to outbreaks to develop management tools for affected facilities.

The Department said it had liaised with the Office of Government Procurement to source additional PPE for its own staff and contractors in factories, but the health and safety of factory employees lay with the management of each meat establishment.

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