An outbreak at a Norfolk poultry factory is gathering pace as the total number of positive coronavirus cases rises to nearly 100.
More than 350 families have had to self-isolate, and test and tracing of their contacts remains underway after an initial 75 cases were reported at Banham Poultry.
The factory closed part of its site early last week following advice from Public Health England and Norfolk Public Health.
There have now been 96 confirmed coronavirus cases at the factory which employs 1,100 staff, the Eastern Daily Press reported on Monday.
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The outbreak prompted fears Norfolk, on England's east coast, could be sent into a local lockdown as positive test numbers rise linked to the cutting room in the village of Attleborough.
Workers at the factory live around the country, with the majority of staff members based in Breckland, Great Yarmouth and the county's capital city of Norwich.
Last week one staff-member was reported to be in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, and their current condition is unclear.
The local newspaper reported that more factory staff are believed to have presented to James Paget University Hospital, in Gorleston.
The company is bringing in a new group of 45 staff to work in the slaughter house as the rest of the workforce remain home and self-isolating, according to an update on Monday, Dr Louise Smith, Norfolk's director of public health.
She said the factory had been deep cleaned and mobile testing units were at the site.
She said: “Following the Covid 19 outbreak in the cutting room at Banham Poultry, we announced last Friday that we were expanding testing to staff working across the rest of the site.
"Staff and their households, including children, must self-isolate for 14 days, if they have not tested positive or not been tested. Staff must isolate for 10 days if they have had a positive test result, and their households, including children, need to isolate for 14 days. Anyone who has not been tested is urged to apply for a test and more mobile units are being brought in to support this.
“As the relevant regulatory agencies have confirmed the building has been deep cleaned, the company is bringing in a new group of 45 people to continue to staff the slaughterhouse. This will ensure that the euthanising of birds can continue, in accordance with the usual regulations.
“We appreciate this is a difficult situation for the company and its staff but we must take this action, to curb the spread of Covid-19 across the county.”
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) said as of Tuesday last week there are around 40 food processing plants in England, both meat and non-meat, with active outbreaks - but assured that the number "remains very low".
There are around 20,000 food processing plants in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the FSA said only a very small proportion have been impacted.
