A small number of positive Covid-19 cases have been confirmed at a north-east fish factory.
Three positive cases have been identified at Thistle Seafoods in Boddam, near Peterhead, over the past fortnight.
The seafood manufacturer employs 550 people.
Managing Director Ryan Scatterty has said he has full faith in the track and trace system and is confident measures implemented are working to best protect the workforce.
Mr Scatterty said: “We have had three members of staff out of 550 that have had tested positive but they are in totally different departments and on totally different shifts and there is no linkage.
“The virus is clearly in the local Peterhead community, which is a concern, but we are not unduly concerned at this precise moment.
“We have put in pretty stringent measures because of the type of manufacturer that we are.
“Our hygiene standards are way higher than the vast majority of the industry. From the very start of the pandemic and all the way through, touch wood, we have been quite fortunate that we have been able to keep operating at 100%.”
Mr Scatterty has said throughout the pandemic, some workers at the factory have been identified as close contacts of positive cases with the seafood manufacturer working with their workforce to provide support.
He added: “People have had to self-isolate when they have shown symptoms but that is just the run of the mill stuff that society is having to deal with at the moment.
“It is concerning that there seems to be a number of cases that have popped up in Peterhead recently but I have full faith in the Grampian health board and that the tracing system will do its job and manage to contain it.
“Way back in February we introduced temperature screening, hand washing facilities outside the gate and we have limited external visitors onto site.
“We also have our own employee buses that we supply where masks and visors have to be worn.
“We have maximised home working for office-based staff where possible, but we cant do the same for factory-based staff
“We have put in very stringent measures throughout which I have got full faith in – and it has been proven as we have been able to stay open throughout with a minor number of cases.
“When you employ 550 people, given the scale of the pandemic it is not surprising to have a case every now and again.
“Staff are advised to stay at home if they or family member present symptoms and they are kept on full pay throughout the isolation period.”