Coronavirus: Moy Park firms to introduce rapid testing

The firm has processing sites in Dungannon, Ballymena and Craigavon

The poultry firm, Moy Park, is introducing rapid testing at its plants in Northern Ireland and Great Britain as part of a government pilot.

It will trial lateral flow tests at its sites across the UK to help inform the future roll-out of rapid testing.

Results are returned in 30 minutes and will be fed into the Department of Health and Social Care's national testing database.

Moy Park has sites in Ballymena, Dungannon and Craigavon.

• NI Covid-19 restrictions: Your questions answered

• Northern Ireland records highest weekly Covid deaths

The firm is one of Northern Ireland's largest private sector employers and employs about 5,500 people across its operations here.

Baroness Dido Harding says the government pilot will "lay the foundations for the next phase of NHS Test and Trace"

The head of NHS Test and Trace, Baroness Dido Harding has said this pilot is "one of many which will lay the foundations for the next phase of NHS Test and Trace".

She added that rapid testing "will allow us to test even more people, even more quickly".

One in three people with coronavirus do not display symptoms, and it is hoped rapid testing will identify positive cases and help prevent potential outbreaks.

Rapid or "lateral flow" tests need high levels of the virus in the body in order to work.

'Proud to play its part'

Director at Moy Park, Kirsty Wilkins, said the company was proud to be playing its part in tackling the pandemic.

"We continue to maintain the highest level of vigilance to stop the virus coming into our facilities and help prevent its transmission.

"Participation in the pilot scheme runs in tandem with the rigorous safety protocols we have in place."

The food firm have introduced measures such as thermal temperature scanning, enhanced cleaning and hygiene regimes, additional personal protective equipment (PPE) and social distancing measures.