Positive Covid-19 cases linked to an outbreak which has closed an Angus abattoir have risen to 42.
NHS Tayside confirmed the news relating to the Quality Pork Processors plant in Brechin on Tuesday.
It follows the closure of the abattoir for a fortnight from January 23 after the virus spread through staff.
Positive coronavirus cases at Scotland’s biggest pork processing plant in Brechin jumps to 34
An Incident Management Team has been put in place.
The figure is an increase of eight from last week and health chiefs said all the new positives had already been self-isolating.
Associate Director of Public Health and chair of the Incident Management Team (IMT), Dr Ellie Hothersall, said: “42 cases of Covid-19 associated with Quality Pork Processors in Brechin have now been identified.
“The additional positive cases were already self-isolating at home.
“The processing factory is working closely with NHS Tayside’s Public Health team, Food Standards Scotland and Angus Council Environmental Health Team.
“All arrangements for contact tracing and self-isolation are in place.
“The multi-agency IMT continues to keep the situation under close review.”
Production was halted at the only facility of its kind in Scotland after almost 20 staff were struck by the virus.
Plant operators, who had come under community pressure over a lack of information about the scale of the outbreak among the workforce, said the situation had made safe operation of the business “extremely difficult”.
They highlighted an absence of positive cases during the entire pandemic up to the point of the current outbreak as evidence of the success of a “comprehensive approach” to protecting staff.
Industry leaders and farmers have been working to find accommodation for animals which may have been programmed for processing at the slaughterhouse on the outskirts of the Angus town.
The UK has already seen a build up of pigs over a number of months due to the impact of the coronavirus on processing plants being able to operate effectively within coronavirus guidelines including social distancing for staff.
Brechin nursery back in operation
Meanwhile, a Brechin nursery which closed after staff there were hit by the virus is now back up and running.
Playspaces re-opened on Tuesday having been closed from January 24.
There were five confirmed cased of coronavirus linked to the nursery, including three staff.
One member of staff is continuing to self-isolate, the nursery said.
IMT members previously said they did not believe there was a link between the nursery cases and the abattoir outbreak.