Some 20,000 factory and food processing workers will be tested each week as part of the Government serial testing, with 50,000 workers in the overall programme.

The Irish Farmers Journal has learned that out of 2,254 tests just 0.5% (11.5 cases) returned as positive after testing was first introduced in 10 factories and processors last week across the three previously locked down counties of Laois, Offaly and Kildare.

It is also understood that the Government has backed down on plans to roll out testing to dairy processors, bar processors in lockdown counties which were already tested.

Conor Mulvihill, director of Dairy Industry Ireland, said that a risk analysis had been carried out by the authorities using NPHET data, and dairy and specialised nutrition sites were in the lowest risk categories. He said the industry would continue to uphold the highest HSE protocols and safety standards.

The Irish Farmers Journal understands that a meeting took place on Monday between Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly and health officials to discuss outbreaks in meat factories and food processing plants. To date, 28 clusters in meat factories have been reported with cases in ABP Cahir and ABP Clones last week.

Monitoring

Independent TD Denis Naughten said continuous monitoring of plants was needed. He pointed to the resurgence of the virus, not just in meat plants in Ireland, but in other countries such as Scotland, where a 2 Sisters poultry plant remains closed after 152 cases were reported.

Meat Industry Ireland has insisted that tests must be returned within a 24-hour period but last week the average waiting period was 2.2 days and some workers in Kildare Chilling are understood to have waited 10 days for test results.

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