Retail giant Scotmid has defended its decision not to close its Coupar Angus store after a member of staff tested positive for coronavirus.
The supermarket is next door to the 2 Sisters chicken factory, which was recently the epicentre of one of Tayside’s worst outbreaks.
The Courier understands that an employee of the George Street shop tested positive on Friday and is now in isolation.
Two other staff members were tested on Monday and are awaiting results.
Last week, the affected staff member traveled to a meeting at Scotland’s Invergowrie store. Bosses confirmed an employee there was also tested as a precaution, and their result came back negative.
Scotmid said it was keeping a close eye on the situation and would “react to any changes accordingly”.
But the company decided to keep the store open after weighing up health and safety concerns against the need to offer “essential services” to locals.
The neighbouring chicken plant reopened on Monday, August 31, after all 1,200 staff spent a fortnight in quarantine.
At the last count, there were just over 200 positive cases linked to the outbreak.
A Scotmid spokeswoman told The Courier: “It’s really important to us to be open with the communities we serve – after all, we are a community retailer.
“Since the 2 Sisters factory cluster was identified, our Coupar Angus store underwent a precautionary deep clean, which we have recently decided to repeat.
“All our staff are closely following government guidelines and doing their best to serve the local community under very challenging conditions.”
She said: “One staff member in that store has tested positive for Covid-19 and is self-isolating.
“The individual recently met another member of staff at our Invergowrie store. That staff member also took a test as a precautionary measure, which was negative. We are encouraging all our staff to follow the government guidelines and get tested if they display symptoms.
“Two of our colleagues in Coupar Angus have decided to do this today.”
The spokeswoman added: “The cluster at the 2 Sisters factory has created a very fluid and difficult situation for our team. The health and safety of our staff and customers is our first priority, but this must be balanced with offering essential services to the local community.
“We are watching the situation on a daily basis and will continue to react to any changes accordingly.”
The store – one of two Scotmid branches in the town – was kept open throughout the outbreak, amid reports some workers were seen visiting the store when they were meant to be isolating.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon hailed the Coupar Angus case as a successful example of Test and Protect in action. She said the system allowed measures to be targeted at factory workers and their households. “It meant that we were able to stem any spread into the community,” she said.
A spokeswoman for NHS Tayside confirmed contact tracing in relation to the 2 Sisters plant had now been completed.
