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'Right decision': HSE boss says suspension of meat plant testing was necessary to deal with surge in demand elsewhere

The serial testing has been suspended in order to meet the surge in demand for community testing.

HSE CEO PAUL Reid has defended the decision to suspend serial testing of workers at meat plants and insisted its the kind of “agile” move health officials need to take in order to prioritise testing for those who need it most. 

It emerged yesterday evening that the widescale testing of meat processing plant staff, introduced on 21 August, was to be paused until next week. 

Significant clusters of Covid-19 have been linked to meat processing plants throughout the pandemic, and outbreaks in such facilities were a factor in the introduction of localised restrictions in Kildare, Offaly and Laois last month.

The testing has resulted in a positivity rate of 0.27% among the workers, uncovering around 40 cases, the HSE said. 

Sinn Féin’s agriculture spokesman Matt Carthy yesterday described the move as “reckless” and inexplicable. 

However speaking to reporters at the HSE’s weekly briefing in UCD this morning Reid said it was the correct course of action. 

“We have to be agile,” he said. 

The decision to prioritise tests to meet demand from people being referred by GPs was made in response to a surge in those requests in the early days of this week, Reid said. On Monday there 13,000 such referrals and there were 8,000 on Tuesday.

Serial testing took place at the meat plants on Monday and Tuesday this week before the suspension came into effect. While the widespread testing is being paused, outbreak testing is to continue in the sector, the HSE’s National Lead for Testing and Tracing Niamh O’Beirne said today. 

Said Reid: “We have to triage and we have to prioritise symptomatic referrals from GPs – so it’s the right decision to move the resource and use the capacity for symptomatic referrals, and it is a rescheduling of the meat plants into next week.”

He said it was an example of the kind of quick decisions that needed to be made in response to emerging trends in the pandemic. 

The move had been clinical and public health led and was not just an operational decision, he added. 

The issue was raised with Tánaiste Leo Varadkar today in the Dáil, with Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty stating that it was “baffling” that the health minister did not raise the matter last night during a debate on Covid-19.

He said it is “reckless and shortsighted” considering what happened in Kildare, Offaly and Laois.

“No other private industry has had such an effect on Covid-19, outbreaks in factories lead to increased risk in the community. Minister for Agriculture said yesterday testing has begun, but we know tests have already been cancelled, you couldn’t make it up,” he said.

Varadkar said the tests haven’t been cancelled, and the HSE has “rescheduled” them to next week. 

He indicated that more testing capacity was needed for community testing.

Labour’s Alan Kelly said the fact testing in meat factories has stopped, when clusters in some counties has already had local lockdowns is concerning.

A HSE spokesperson said last night: 

“It is important to remember that where an outbreak occurs in a plant then normal mass testing will still occur in meat plants.

Public Health will be in touch locally in those situations. In the meantime, if a staff member develops symptoms of coronavirus, we would ask them to self-isolate and phone a GP to be referred for a free coronavirus test.

Separately a meeting of NPHET is getting under way around now, where it’s expected revised restrictions for Dublin will be discussed. 

Restrictions on visits to households in the county are likely to be considered as cases continue to rise. 

- With reporting from Michelle Hennessy at the HSE briefing 

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27 Comments
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    Mute Harry byrne
    Favourite Harry byrne
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    Sep 10th 2020, 12:56 PM

    6 months to prepare and the testing is still not up to scratch..The last embers of the economy will be extinguished if the HSE dont get this right.Sure was anyone expecting a different result (excuse the pun) from these pl*nkers

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    Mute Matthew O'Kane
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    Sep 10th 2020, 2:21 PM

    @Harry byrne: gov paid to look elsewhere lol

    66
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    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
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    Sep 11th 2020, 5:16 PM

    @Harry byrne: Seriously though, barely 70k tested, and it’s September already. No one looks forward to being tested, but it’s the only way forward. Seems so slow here.

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    Mute Damian Mac An Bháird
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    Sep 10th 2020, 12:50 PM

    Yes master, thank you master

    142
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    Mute Seán O'Loughlin
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:50 PM

    The whole testing initiative just isn’t up to par.

    47
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    Mute Ann Experiment
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    Sep 10th 2020, 12:58 PM

    I dunno, maybe employ more people to do testing?!

    117
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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Sep 10th 2020, 10:06 PM

    @Ann Experiment: Theres only one testing centre in all of Louth. People who dont live within a 5-10 mile radius are not going to want to work on a 7 day rota which includes early starts and late night finishes. BUT the money is good and they are recruiting for all centres, swabbers needed everywhere.

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    Mute Robbie Curran
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    Sep 10th 2020, 12:56 PM

    God forbid we should ensure those on the front line of food processing are getting checked so that they can deal with any new infections and stop any possible contamination of food for the general public.

    124
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    Mute Paddy Murray
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:13 PM

    Just watching the news are they are reporting a spike in demand for testing. Sure it was bound to happen due to the fact the kids have returned to school.
    If your child has a runny nose or a cough which is normal at this time of the year and if you call your doctor the child will be sent for testing.

    So this is bound to send the demand for testing up.

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    Mute Vladimir Macro
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:45 PM

    @Paddy Murray: Spike in demand?

    If that isnt psychological manipulation of the masses I dont know what is.

    One is either sick or not.

    34
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    Mute Michael Clair
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:29 PM

    Yes, the rest of the country can go and swing. But Dublin is special, because Leo lives there.

    50
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    Mute nelliekel
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:39 PM

    @Michael Clair: sad little man

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    Mute Ernie Gallagher
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:58 PM

    @Michael Clair: You can have him, if it helps make you feel more ‘special’.

    26
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    Mute Nollaig Kelly
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:36 PM

    I smell bull and it’s not the bull at the plants

    44
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    Mute trebloc01
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:56 PM

    Where are the 3 Taoiseachs

    44
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    Mute Seán O'Loughlin
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    Sep 10th 2020, 2:16 PM

    @trebloc01: The Threeseachs

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    Mute Berkieahern3
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    Sep 10th 2020, 2:33 PM

    @trebloc01: Eamon Ryan is at home in bed!!

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    Mute Seán O'Loughlin
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    Sep 10th 2020, 4:21 PM

    @Berkieahern3: Rip Van Winkle Ryan

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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Sep 10th 2020, 1:07 PM

    What 8 thousand on Tuesday ? The graph shows there were not even three hundred, the bar is hardly visible on community referrals and to top up the oddity in the latest bulletin the graph is now missing Tuesday’s bar or Wednesdays bar. Always 14 days in graphs and yesterday’s one eclipses Tuesday’s bar and is the only with only 13 bars. They must think people are asleep.

    10th sep (Tuesday bar missing)

    https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/integrated-information-service-testing-and-contact-tracing-dashboard-10-september-2020.pdf

    09 September ( Tuesday referrals at around 100 or 200 – hardly visible)

    https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/integrated-information-service-testing-and-contact-tracing-dashboard-9-september-2020.pdf

    26
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    Mute Seanboy
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    Sep 10th 2020, 2:30 PM

    GPs are gone mad referring kids with a snotty nose for a covid test time to go back to two or more symptoms before testing

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    Mute Seosamh Mac Cionnaith
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    Sep 10th 2020, 3:42 PM

    @Seanboy: GPs are getting €30 per referral. You ring to make an appointment for little Johnny coz he has a runny nose, they’ll just refer you for a covid test. €30 earned for a 30 second phone call, and if it’s negative, another fee to see him, and covid ruled out. Nice little earner…….

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    Mute Nioe
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    Sep 10th 2020, 3:44 PM

    @Seosamh Mac Cionnaith: I hope you’re joking but have not heard any doctor giving out so must be true that they get 30 a pop. That’s shocking

    Nice bit of gravy for doing sod all.

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    Mute Michael Reilly
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    Sep 10th 2020, 5:05 PM

    @Nioe: VET doing TB test;
    Farmer: “Is it near eradication”.
    VET: “I hope not”
    And the gravy train rolls on..

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    Sep 10th 2020, 3:08 PM

    As agile as a bull in a china shop!

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    Mute Pauline Fedigan
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    Sep 10th 2020, 7:01 PM

    GOOD MAN LARRY

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    Mute William Bryan
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    Sep 10th 2020, 7:40 PM

    The ability to test up to 100000 now downnto 30000, porkies

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Sep 11th 2020, 12:03 PM

    Basically the offer doesn’t meat the demand. Sorry I’ll grab a taxi.

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