Workers at Ballymahon meat plant tested for Covid-19

Workers at the Kepak facility in Ballymahon were tested for Covid-19 last week following concerns raised over issues at a number of other meat plants across the country.

It is understood that Ballymahon locals expressed concerns that workers at the facility had been having parties and ignoring social distancing guidelines while infected with the virus, despite the efforts of Kepak management to encourage compliance with Covid-19 regulations among its employees.

In light of Covid-19 concerns across the country, the HSE is to issue guidance to meat processing plants to prevent further spread. There are now 10 clusters in factories across the country, accounting for 566 cases of the virus.

Figures released yesterday indicated that, as of Wednesday, May 6, there were 260 cases of Covid-19 in county Longford. That followed a spike of 104 cases, which were confirmed over the course of three days.

The death toll from Covid-19 in the Republic now stands at 1,429, after another 27 people with the disease were reported to have passed away yesterday.