Norfolk County Council have announced that a “significant outbreak” of the virus has taken place at a meat processing factory in Walton, Norfolk.

The Cranswick Country Foods factory has reported that 140 have tested positive for COVID-19 with 300 staff tested so far and the remained to be tested today (Tuesday).

Dr Louise Smith, the council’s head of public health, has urged people that live in the Walton area to get tests done if they have symptoms of the virus.

She said in a staement released by the council that “Testing of staff at Cranswick Foods has revealed a significant outbreak. At this stage we have identified about 140 positive cases out of around 300 tested so far.

The analysis of swabs continues and the remaining staff on site are being tested today and tomorrow.

Due to the high proportion of positive case results received so far, we are liaising with the Joint Biosecurity Centre and have stepped up contact tracing and leafletting in the Watton area, urging people with symptoms to access testing.”

Earlier this month 75 people who worked at the Bernard Matthews turkey factory in Great Witchingham, Norfolk also tested positive for the virus. Norfolk County Council said at the time that over 600 workers at the factory were tested and that “Results showed that the majority of positive cases so far worked on the afternoon shift at the site, leading Public Health to advise Bernard Matthews that the entire shift be instructed to self-isolate.”

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