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Some 1,048 workers in meat and poultry plants have tested positive for the coronavirus. The latest figures from the Department of Health show a continued week-on-week increase in cases.
In addition, some 200 officials are to be reassigned from the HSE to the Health and Safety Authority (HSA) to inspect workplaces following the backlash over lack of inspections in meat factories.
The Department of Business, which oversees the HSA, said that additional inspectors were being sourced from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Department of Agriculture.
“These will be specialist officials who already have sectoral business inspection responsibilities,” the Department of Business told the Irish Farmers Journal.
There was anger at a recent special committee on COVID-19 when it was revealed that the HSA had not carried out any inspection on meat plants despite receiving complaints regarding processors.
To date, there are 19 clusters of coronavirus in factories and over 2,300 workers have been tested.
Clusters
Despite the increase in the number of clusters in factories, just seven factories have had all employees tested by the HSE.
It is understood that many factories severely affected by the virus are now returning to full capacity.
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