There will be no sheep killed today, Monday, August 10, or “for the next few days”, according to Kildare Chilling, with no definite resumption date as of yet.

In a message sent out on Saturday, August 8, the meat processor said that it is in the process of washing down the plant to sanitise the facility, while results continue to emerge following the testing of all staff.

The communication said that there would be no sheep kill today for for the next few days, adding that the business is “awaiting results from testing all the staff. Results [are] slow in coming out”.

Noting that the wash-down is “nearly completed”, the plant stressed that it is following the advice of the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Sheep prices seem stable; do not hold sheep if you can sell them.

Advising farmers to keep sheep sold at current prices, the message said the firm is “not sure when [it] will resume the sheep kill”.

Carroll Cuisine to suspend operations

In other news, another meat plant hit by a cluster of Covid-19, Carroll Cuisine, has announced that it will suspend operations at its Tullamore plant in Co. Offaly to “support measures by the public health services to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the community”.

The business had remained open today, despite a number of Covid-19 cases there, while other similarly affected plants had suspended operations.

However, it appears management has now taken the precaution to suspend operations.