Coronavirus outbreak at Moy Park’s Ballymena site

A Covid-cluster has been identified at Moy Park's site in Ballymena.

The food company confirmed 'a very small number' of staff have been infected, but did not reveal how many.

A spokesperson said those individuals have been self-isolating, and that the company is working closely with the Public Health Agency and following strict safeguarding procedures across all their sites.

Alliance Health spokesperson Paula Bradshaw said she raised the issue of serious risk to staff in meat factories publicly, including in an Assembly Question a month ago.

The South Belfast MLA stated: ““We have seen instances elsewhere in the UK and Ireland of tens of cases being linked to individual meat factories, and literally thousands of confirmed cases were linked to a single plant in Gütersloh in Germany.

“It is completely obvious that meat factories represent a serious risk, and all then more so because the nature of that risk is still not fully understood. It is clear, however, that asking people to work in poorly ventilated indoor locations represents a serious hazard.

“This outbreak suggests that not enough has been done by the relevant Ministers to ensure staff safely in meat factories. We must now hear of more forthright action to limit the risks to staff and local communities near such plants over the coming hours and days.”