92 new coronavirus cases found among workers at Missouri pork plant
Ninety-two more workers from a Missouri pork processing plant have been found to have COVID-19 as testing efforts ramped up this week.
The state announced the new cases Thursday after 707 asymptomatic employees of Triumph Foods in St. Joseph were tested Monday. Additional tests are pending for hundreds of other workers who received tests Tuesday and Wednesday.
A total of 126 coronavirus cases have been linked to the pork plant. Prior to the testing this week, 34 of the plant’s workers were already found to be positive for COVID-19.
The company said in a statement that the discovery of over 90 additional cases Thursday “was not unexpected given the highly contagious nature of the virus and that it is already present in the greater community.” COVID-19-positive workers are being asked to remain in isolation.
“We will use this information at Triumph Foods in developing our staffing and work plans,” the company stated. “Having this important information will now allow those individuals, who have not been showing symptoms, to self-isolate.”
Triumph Foods did not elaborate on how the outbreak will affect operations moving forward, though in an earlier statement dated April 20, it said it implemented a host of changes at the facility in response to the pandemic. Those changes included providing masks to all employees, installing plexiglass dividers, relaxing attendance policies, offering alternative shifts and providing wage support for workers taking time off in regard to the coronavirus.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services said it partnered with the St. Joseph Health Department, Northwest Health Services and Mosaic Life Care to offer testing to all the employees at the plant.
The state said it is sending staff to assist with contract tracing efforts at the request of the city’s health department. Additional testing is expected as close contacts of COVID-19 patients are notified.
In Buchanan County, where the plant is located, at least 87 residents have tested positive. But as MDHSS noted, not all cases among the plant’s workers will be counted in Buchanan County as workers may reside in other, neighboring counties.
Statewide, at least 7,562 cases have been identified as of Thursday, and 329 people have died from the disease.
“Our mission remains to protect health and keep Missourians safe,” Randall Williams, director of MDHSS, said in a statement. “We appreciate the willingness from employees of Triumph Foods to be tested and the collaboration with local health care providers to help prevent further spread of COVID-19 in this community. Partnering with providers and local health departments to test people, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, is part of our ‘box-in’ strategy with this virus moving forward.”
The company noted in its statement Thursday: “We are appreciative of our partnership with state and local health leaders as we navigate this public health challenge together.”
