INTEL HAS CONFIRMED that there is a Covid-19 outbreak at the construction site where it is expanding its Leixlip manufacturing facility. 

A spokesperson for the company has said that the outbreak involves “approximately 70″ cases but that “it is a fluid situation”. 

The company said in a statement that it was first informed by the site’s main building contractor over the weekend that there were a number of people working at the site that had tested positive for Covid-19. 

Subsequent follow-up testing has resulted in further positive cases being identified and workers at the site have been informed of the situation. 

The company says the contractor is working with public health teams and that investigations are ongoing to identify how the outbreak occurred. 

“We are working to support our construction team in whatever way we can – to understand what has happened in this situation and how it can be addressed with corrective measures,” the spokesperson said.

For all confirmed cases, contact tracing was conducted and any other workers who may have been exposed have been required to self-quarantine and monitor their health. Additional testing of workers at the construction site is being carried out and any affected areas are subject to deep cleaning and disinfection.

The company added that for confidentiality reasons it is not disclosing details of any specific cases.

Back in January, Intel confirmed to The Journal that about 3,000 people were working at the main site under an exemption to the general construction shutdown at the beginning of the year.

The company has previously published details of the Covid-19 safety measures at the site.