2 Sisters Coupar Angus staff on full pay as cases rise
NHS Tayside revealed the number of confirmed COVID-19 positive cases related to the site had hit 152. A total of 134 factory workers and 18 community contacts had tested positive for infection, according to a statement released on 24 August.
Last week 2 Sisters confirmed four cases of coronavirus at the Scottish site. It decided to temporarily suspend operations to prevent the spread of the virus.
In June, 2 Sisters suspended production at its chicken plant in Llangeli, Walesfollowing an outbreak there.
Greencore has suspended processing at its Northampton site following almost 300 confirmed cases there.
Full Pay
A spokesman for the Coupar Angus site said: “2 Sisters can confirm all colleagues will receive full pay for the period the factory has been closed.
“We recognise these are unprecedented circumstances which have adversely affected our business and the local community.
“Our company is very aware that the strict self-isolation rules imposed means some households may experience hardship, and we want to do all we can to minimise this.
The business is keen to support the local NHS teams and their call for whole household self-isolation, and this decision will help to reassure colleagues and hopefully drive further compliance.”
Positive cases
Dr Emma Fletcher, associate director of Public Health for NHS Tayside, said, “Today’s increase in positive cases was anticipated by the team managing the outbreak as the high volume of contact tracing, which was under way over the weekend, has now been largely complete.
“We are seeing fewer new cases today for follow-up, however detailed contact tracing continues and we remain in a high state of vigilance across Tayside.
“At the Mobile Testing Units sited across Tayside over the past week, nearly 3,500 tests have been completed. At the two units in Coupar Angus and Dundee which were set up for workers from the 2 Sisters factory, more than 1,000 tests have been carried out.”
Fletcher stressed all workers and their household contacts, including children should continue to self-isolate until 31 August, even if they had tested negative.
Fresh food supplier Bakkavor and biscuit manufacturer Pladis have also confirmed new COVID-19 cases.
