Following a coronavirus outbreak in a Westphalian meat processing plant, all of the approximate 1,200 employees at the site are to be tested for the virus. On Thursday alone, 200 workers at the Westfleisch company had already been tested, the district of Coesfeld announced on Thursday. 129 employees were infected, 13 of them had to be treated in the hospital, but none in the intensive care unit.

A company spokesperson explained that the employees had symptoms that were relatively mild. All infected persons who were not in the hospital and their contact persons are now in domestic quarantine. At the gate to the plant, workers are now being tested with a contactless fever scanner in order to quickly detect suspicious cases.

The company is in close contact with the authorities, the spokesperson said. Contrary to initial fears, production at the plant has not been stopped. It will continue at a reduced scale.