Nicola Sturgeon said there is currently “no evidence” of wider community transmission of coronavirus in Tayside in the wake of a major local outbreak.
Speaking at Monday’s Scottish Government briefing, the First Minister said that more 900 workers from the 2 Sisters food processing plant in Coupar Angus – where a major Covid-19 outbreak originated – have now been tested.
She added that more than 1,600 people have been tested for the virus in Dundee, Forfar and Perth.
110 positive Covid-19 cases have now been linked with the factory, with strict measures placed on workers and their families in the wake of the outbreak. Ninety-six of this number were workers and 14 were in the wider community.
Ms Sturgeon said: “The factory remains closed and contact tracing continues. (This is) a very significant outbreak and we expect to see the number of cases rise even further.
“There is at this point no evidence of wider community transmission.”
Ms Sturgeon stressed that the guidance for 2 Sisters employees and family members remains in place, meaning they will have to self-isolate for the remainder of the initial 14-day period.
She added there is currently no evidence that the virus has spread to two other food processing plants in the Tayside area.
Fourteen of Scotland’s 66 coronavirus cases, recorded from Sunday into Monday, were in Tayside.
The number of people who have contracted the virus since the beginning of the pandemic is now 19,877.
No Covid-19 deaths were recorded in the past 24 hours.
It comes after positive Covid-19 tests were confirmed at St Peter and Paul’s School in Dundee and Happy Times out-of school club at Downfield Primary School. The number of cases linked to Kingspark Primary reached 22 on Sunday.
And the nursery at Newburgh Primary School in Fife has been forced to close after the positive test of a child.
