Seven cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed at a ham processing and packaging facility in Tullamore, Co. Offaly.

Carroll Cuisine confirmed that, during the past week, an employee informed the company that they had tested positive for Covid-19 and that they began self-isolating.

The company then carried out testing of all employees, and six other staff members – who work with the initial individual affected – tested positive. These workers are now self-isolating, the business said.

No other positive cases have been identified. The company said it will continue testing all staff and will “remain vigilant on a constant basis”.

The company and all production facilities are in full operation, a Carroll statement said.

“We are supporting our affected employees and are working closely and co-operatively with the HSE [Health Service Executive] who is satisfied with the actions we are taking,” it said.

The statement added: “Since the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland, we have implemented stringent health and safety measures to protect our employees and to help prevent the spread of the virus.”

A deep clean has taken place, the company said. In addition to this, “all other ongoing and comprehensive measures” are being taken.

The company employs some 330 people in the Co. Offaly town.

Covid-19 farm income impact

In other Covid-19 related news, the impact of the virus on farm incomes is “now likely to be more limited” than initially thought, Teagasc has found in its Mid-Year Outlook for 2020.

At the moment, the fears over a “sharp drop” in farm incomes related to the virus outbreak “seem to have been averted”.

This, the agricultural authority notes, is due to a “gradual recovery in commodity prices and the provision of additional supports to the sector”.