More asymptomatic COVID-19 cases confirmed at St. Joseph food plant as total hits 373
More than a dozen additional employees at a St. Joseph food plant have tested positive for the new coronavirus despite showing no symptoms, bringing the number of infected workers there to 373.
That was up from Saturday, when 359 of 2,300 Triumph Foods employees tested positive for COVID-19 with no symptoms, according to the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. On Friday, 295 had tested positive.
The new cases came after increased testing of asymptomatic employees at the food plant started Monday. Before that began, 46 symptomatic employees tested positive for the virus.
In a statement Friday to The Star, Triumph Foods said the results were not unexpected considering the contagious nature of the virus.
“The test results are a snapshot in time and provide our organization and each individual employee with information to protect employees, families and the community,” the statement said.
Employees who test positive will receive full pay and benefits while they self-isolate at home, the company said.
As of Sunday, more than 8,380 Missourians had tested positive for the virus and 352 had died.
