Public Health Wales has assured consumers that catching coronavirus from food is very unlikely after outbreaks at food processing plants in Wales.

Dr Robin Howe, incident director for the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said: “The Food Standards Agency advise that it is very unlikely that you can catch coronavirus from food. Coronavirus is a respiratory illness. It is not known to be transmitted by exposure to food or food packaging."

The Health and Safety Executive is continuing to monitor the 2 Sisters abattoir on Anglesey as it reopened at the beginning of July after more than 200 workers tested positive for coronavirus.

A mass testing programme was carried out by army-run mobile testing units.

The site reopened with union officials given a tour of the plant and production was due to begin with all 560 staff returning in a phased approach.

The 2 Sisters Food Group has set up a £1m welfare fund to help staff.

Meanwhile Rowan Foods in Wrexham has 237 confirmed cases and officials are trying to contact around 100 employees and contractors who might be at risk.

And at the Kepak in Merthyr Tydfil, 101 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed bringing the total from April to 138.

Dr Howe said the rise in cases was not unexpected.

"Focused testing as part of the management of clusters and outbreaks of coronavirus will inevitably identify new cases, but this does not mean that there has been a significant increase in the level of infection in the community.

“The outbreak of coronavirus associated with Rowan Foods Ltd in Wrexham has recorded a modest increase of 13 confirmed cases of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) infection since Friday last week. This brings the total number of positive cases in the outbreak to 302. This is in line with what we would expect to see from a focused testing process."