Rowan Foods coronavirus incident not being regarded as outbreak like Anglesey ‘at this point’ – sampling taking place

Wrexham.com for people living in or visiting the Wrexham area

This article is old - Published: Monday, Jun 22nd, 2020

The First Minister has said so far Welsh Government think a local coronavirus ‘flare up’ is being dealt with in a way “that does not cause a wider level of concern to the community”.

At today’s regular governmental briefing First Minister Mark Drakeford spoke at length about an ‘outbreak’ on Anglesey where Anglesey Council is holding discussions with Welsh Government over whether a local lockdown is required.

Wrexham.com asked the First Minister about the local incident connected to the Rowan Foods factory on the industrial estate, an incident he has previously called a ‘flare up’.

We asked the First Minister for his latest understanding of the situation here, and asked if there was a wider community risk. The Anglesey incident was described as at a ‘closed setting’, and therefore less likely to see ‘seepage’ to the community.

With talks between Welsh Government and Anglesey Council over localised lockdowns there, we asked if there was any such discussion for Wrexham.

The First Minister replied, “There were meetings over the weekend of the multi disciplinary team that is looking after that outbreak. There were two further confirmed cases yesterday. So you can see it is on a very different scale to the incident so far on Anglesey”

“Sampling has begun on the site, 120 staff had been sampled by the end of yesterday and a further 100 due to be completed yesterday as well. Sampling will continue today and beyond if necessary until we have got all the staff we need to sample sampled.”

“We are working with the local team, and that will involve the local authority as well.

“At this point it is not being regarded as an outbreak of the sort that we have seen on Ynys Môn, but we get daily reports, more than daily, a number of times a day, on the work that is going on locally and investigations on the site, so far we think it is being dealt with in a way that does not cause a wider level of concern to the community”.

Rowan Foods have a direct and agency workforce which totals 1500

You can view the full briefing fro today, plus the Q&A session on the below video: