Mr. Paul Reid:

I can confirm that it has commenced. We completed significant mass testing in the meat plants over the past few weeks, and in the first phase when there were outbreaks in meat plants. Serial testing at meat plants recommenced last Friday. We completed testing at three meat plants over the last day or so, involving a total of 2,254 workers and some 823 swabs were completed. That was across the three counties. The primary focus of the serial testing in terms of meat plants is specifically related to plants that have 50 plus employees. We will be working through more than 50,000 employees over the coming phases as part of that serial testing.

On serial testing of those in direct provision centres, we are working through that process with the Department of Justice and Equality and its agencies in terms of the data and so on that we will need in advance of scheduling that process. In terms of serial testing in direct provision centres, there are more than 8,000 people to be tested, comprising approximately 7,500 residents and the remaining being employees. There is serial testing across 50,000 people in meat plants, 8,000 in direct provision and, also, approximately 30,000 staff and healthcare workers in our nursing homes, which has been ongoing for the past few weeks, with a current phase recently completed. There is serial testing across those three areas.