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There have been 433 cases of COVID-19 confirmed at meat plants, dairy processors and horticulture facilites since the start of August.
Kildare Chilling has been slowly reopening since last week but is still operating at a reduced capacity.
With 168 cases it has one of the highest outbreaks in an Irish meat factory but not as high as the 214 cases in one factory revealed earlier this year in NPHET documents.
It is understood that HSE mass testing took place at the factory again this week as part of the new Government rollout of weekly testing at meat factories and other food business operators such as dairy processors.
There is still some concern within the food industry over the capacity of the HSE to return tests in a timely manner.
The company continues to work in close collaboration with the HSE
However, sources within meat factories have told the Irish Farmers Journal that HSE testing has become “more efficient” since the start of the pandemic.
Smaller outbreaks of COVID-19 have been detected in ABP Cahir and ABP Clones, with 38 and two cases respectively. ABP has chosen to use a private testing company but the work is overseen by the HSE.
“As a precaution, the site [ABP Cahir] has been operating at a limited capacity since the first positive test on 14 August. The company continues to work in close collaboration with the HSE,” an ABP spokesperson said.
Mass testing of staff is also understood to have taken place in the Rosderra Edenderry site
Full screening of all 460 staff at ABP Cahir showed that 16 cases were close contacts of the first positive cases identified last week.
Further results from testing of all staff at ABP Clones are expected this week.
Mass testing of staff is also understood to have taken place in the Rosderra Edenderry site.
The temporary closure of Cranswick pig factory in Antrim, which processes 10,000 pigs per week, following an outbreak of COVID-19 has sparked crisis talks in Northern Ireland.
NPHET’s Professor Philip Nolan told the Oireachtas Committee on Wednesday that 59% of positive cases in meat plants were asymptomatic, which tallied with international results in similar workplace settings.
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