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The meat industry and health authorities have come under fire after it emerged that a meat plant in Cork had 226 positive Covid cases but never shut down, creating a significant health risk.
Local politicians have criticized the failure of the meat industry and the HSE to act faster to contain the outbreak at the plant or to alert local communities, describing their actions as “totally unacceptable”.
Speaking at the Dáil, Sinn Féin deputy director Pearse Doherty revealed the number of positive cases.
He asks why nothing has been done and what influence the “meat magnates” have over the state.
Doherty said those barons were “gambling with people’s lives for the sake of profit,” adding that tests were suspended at the plants last week when capacity reached 72,000 and not the 100,000 limit.
It has been discovered that there were 226 cases associated with a plant in July.
“We understand that the plant is in Cork and that it was never closed,” he said.
“However, last week, tests on meat plants were suspended.
“Yesterday we learned of another outbreak at a meat plant in Waterford and this is causing great concern.
“At least 28 cases are associated with this group, more tests are pending, and hopefully the HSE infection control team is on the ground.”
He said local media in Waterford reported that earlier this week workers at the plant were being bussed to work on a full 50-seater bus.
He said the meat plants have been the site of at least 44 groups across the state and at least 1,600 Covid-19 cases.
They were the main reason for the blockades located in Kildare, Laois and Offaly, he added.
In response, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar dismissed Mr. Doherty’s concerns as something akin to a “paranoid fantasy.”
“The deputy can create any kind of paranoid conspiracy theory that he likes, but I guarantee that there is no message, push, direction or government policy to tell any public health official to treat meat factories with gloves. kid. He said dryly.
Varadkar said any decision to close a plant is made only by public health officials or the Health and Safety Authority.
The Tánaiste defended the Covid-19 testing regime and said that this week an important milestone had been passed with the one millionth test.
“While testing was suspended last week, when there was a huge increase in demand for testing, it was resumed last Monday,” he said.
But local politicians expressed concern about the high number of cases.
Tim Lombard, a Fine Gael senator who has been demanding answers on this issue for weeks, said it is “completely unacceptable” for the meat industry and health authorities to allow such an important group to occur without informing the local community.
He said the questions he has been asking have been unanswered and a “dangerous void” has emerged, which he said has been filled with rumors and backlash.
Local work TD Sean Sherlock said: “No Sunday barbecue is worth having people pay with their life.
“The Department of Agriculture has an almost permanent residence in these plants.
In response to inquiries from the Irish Examiner, the HSE says it does not comment on individual cases or outbreaks to protect the privacy and confidentiality of those involved.
“The details of anyone who is involved in the healthcare system, including the Covid-19 test, track and trace system, is completely confidential,” he said.
“The HSE-led National Oversight Group closely monitors the investigation and management of any outbreaks associated with such plants.”
He said advice to temporarily suspend production at a plant would only be given if the public health risk assessment determined that this was necessary to protect public health.
Additional information will only be released when it is in the interest of protecting the health of the community, the HSE said.
Meanwhile, Dublin is slated for a county-wide lockdown as public health officials have recommended additional restrictions to combat the spread of Covid-19.
The National Public Health Emergency Team met on Thursday to discuss the possibility of putting Dublin on ‘Covid level three’ with more restrictions, which could cause further confusion for the public.
Among the ‘tweaks’ is that travel will be restricted to both Dublin and outside the county, which has been showing by far the highest Covid-19 figures in recent days.
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