Jan. 27 (UPI) -- A suspicious package on Wednesday led to the evacuation of a North Wales plant that manufactures the COVID-19 vaccine for AstraZeneca, police said.
Police closed off roads leading to the plant and dispatched a bomb disposal squad, officials said.
The plant prepares vials of AstraZeneca's coronavirus vaccine, which was co-developed by Britain's Oxford University, for distribution.
AstraZeneca said the plant was partly evacuated due to a "suspicious package."
"The safety of our employees and business continuity remain of paramount importance," the company said in a statement.
The plant was approved to produce 300 million vaccine doses per year and 150,000 vials a day."We are working with local police and the military to find out more," Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford tweeted.
"Thank you to the security personnel who are on-site to protect lives and ensure the safety of our vaccine supply."
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the plant in November.
