Cluster of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Magic Valley food processing plant

Cluster of COVID-19 cases confirmed in Magic Valley food processing plant

This marks one of the largest jumps the region has seen in several weeks, and the district says they expect the number of cases to be much higher as more test results come in.

This jump in cases is the result of increased testing.

CENTRAL PUBLICHEALTH DISTRICT ISCONFIRMING ACLUSTER OFCORONAVIRUSCASES IN A JEROMEFOOD PROCESSINGPLANT, I'LL HAVE THELATESTINFORMATION."AND... TWOPSYCHOLOGISTS INTHE MAGIC VALLEYARE MAKING SURETHEIR CLIENTS GETTHE SERVICES THEYNEED AMIDST THEPANDEMIC."YOU'RE WATCHINGIDAHO NEWS 6 LIVEAT 5:30..."GOOD EVENINGMAGIC VALLEY ANDTHANK YOU FORJOINING US TONIGHTAND HAPPYMEMORIAL DAY... I'MDON NELSON IN FORROLAND BERES...AT LEAST 30 PEOPLEHAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE FORCOVID-19 IN JEROMECOUNTY... AND THESOUTH CENTRALPUBLIC HEALTHDISTRICT SAYS THECASES ARE ALLEMPLOYEES AT THEFOOD PROCESSINGPLANT... RITE STUFFFOODS.IDAHO NEWS 6REPORTER NA-TASHAWILLIAMS EXPLAINSWHY DISTRICTOFFICIALS EXPECT TOSEE A SPIKE IN CASESIN SURROUNDINGCOUNTIES... AS ARESULT OF THISCLUSTER.THIS MARKS ONE OFTHE LARGEST JUMPSTHE REGION HASSEEN IN SEVERALWEEKS.THE DISTRICT SAYSTHEY EXPECT THENUMBER OF CASESTO BE MUCH HIGHERAS THEY RECEIVEMORE TEST RESULTS.NO FATALITIES HAVEBEEN LINKED TO THISCLUSTER OF CASES...BUT AT LEAST ONEPERSON HAS BEENHOSPITALIZED."THE PRIORITY ATTHIS POINT ISACTUALLY TO REACHOUT TO PEOPLE WHOMAY HAVE BEENEXPOSED AND LETTHEM KNOW THATTHEY NEED TO TAKEPRECAUTIONS TOPROTECT THEIR OWNHEALTH, FIRST OFALL, AND MAKE SURETHAT IF THEY DIDPICK IT UP FROM ANYONE OF THESEPEOPLE THEY DON'TSPREAD IT ONTOANYONE ELSE."OUR MEDIAPARTNERS... THEIDAHO STATESMAN...REPORT OFFICIALS ATTHE PLANT ORDEREDTESTING OF THEPLANT'S EMPLOYEESAFTER LEARNINGMORE THAN 10EMPLOYEES WERESICK.THE REASON SOCIALDISTANCING IS ARULE IN THE FIRSTPLACE IS TO HELPPREVENT THESPREAD OF THEVIRUS VIA DROPLETSTHAT COME OUT OFYOUR NOSE ANDMOUTH--ESPECIALLYWHEN YOU COUGHOR SNEEZE.SO HOW IS A FOODPROCESSING PLANTDIFFERENT THANOTHERWORKPLACES?THINK ABOUT IT LIKETHIS:IN MOSTWORKPLACES, IT'SFAIRLY EASY TOMAINTAIN A 6 FOOTDISTANCE--AS LONGAS YOU'RE CAREFULAND THINK AHEAD.BUT IN A FOODPROCESSING PLANT,IT'S BUILT FOR FOLKSTO WORK MUCHCLOSER TOGETHER.REMEMBER THOSEDROPLETS IMENTIONED BEFORE?IF THE DROPLETSHAVE LESS DISTANCETO TRAVEL... IT'SMORE LIKELY THEY'LLSPREAD THE VIRUSTO THOSE NEARBY."ESSENTIALLY THEPERFECT BREEDINGGROUND FOR ARESPIRATORY VIRUS."THE DISTRICT SAYSTHEY'RE ALSOEXPECTING TO SEE ASPIKE IN CASES INSURROUNDINGCOUNTIES... BECAUSEMANY OF THE RITESTUFF FOODSEMPLOYEES LIVE INTHOSE AREAS.THE DISTRICTSTRESSES THERE ISSTILL NO EVIDENCEOF FOOD... OR FOODPACKAGING... BEINGINVOLVED INSPREADING THECORONAVIRUS.

BUTTHEY DO EXPECT TOSEE MORE CASES INOTHER FOODPROCESSINGPLANTS."ONE THING WEKNOW ABOUT OURREGION IS WE HAVE,FIRST OF ALL, A HUGEAGRICULTURAL BASE.WITHIN THAT, QUITE AFEW FOODPROCESSINGPLANTS.

THEY ARE AMAJOR EMPLOYERWITHIN OUR REGION,SO THIS FACILITY INJEROME COUNTY ISNOT GOING TO BETHE LAST THAT WEEXPECT TO SEE ACLUSTER OF CASESLIKE THIS."NATASHA WILLIAMS...IDAHO NEWS 6IT IS IMPORTANT TONOTE THIS JUMP INCASES IS THE RESULTOF INCREASEDTESTING.AS CLUSTERTESTING INCREASESIN THE REGION... THESOUTH CENTRALPUBLIC HEALTHDISTRICT SAYS THEYDO EXPECT TO SEE AFOCUS ON FOODPROCESSING PLANTEMPLOYEES.THE SOUTH CENTRALPUBLIC HEALTHDISTRICT IS ALSOINVESTIGATINGANOTHER CLUSTEROF CASES AT A FOODPROCESSING PLANTIN CASSIA COUNTY.THE SOUTH CENTRALPUBLIC HEALTHDISTRICT SAYSCOMMUNITY SPREADOF COVID-19 HASBEEN CONFIRMED INFOUR COUNTIES INTHEIR DISTRICT.IT'S BEENCONFIRMED IN TWINFALLS, JEROME,BLAINE, ANDMINIDOKA COUNTIES.COMMUNITY SPREADMEANS AT LEAST ONEPERSON HAS BEENINFECTED WITH THEVIRUS... ANDINVESTIGATION HASNOT BEEN ABLE TODETERMINE HOW ORWHERE THEYBECAME INFECTED.THAT'S WHY THEDISTRICT SAYS IT'SIMPORTANT TOCONTINUE TAKINGPRECAUTIONS... EVENIF YOU FEELHEALTHY."DON'T WAIT UNTILYOU HAVE THE VIRUSTO TAKEPRECAUTIONS TOKEEP FROMSPREADINGANYTHING YOUMIGHT HAVE, ORCATCH ANYTHINGSOMEBODY ELSEMIGHT HAVE.

WEARTHOSE MASKS WHENYOU GO TO THEGROCERY STORE,KEEP THAT 6 FEET OFDISTANCE WITHPEOPLE OUTSIDE OFYOUR HOUSEHOLD.MAKE SURE TO STAYHOME IF YOU'RESICK."AS OF TODAY... THESOUTH CENTRALPUBLIC HEALTHDISTRICT ISREPORTING 140CASES STILL BEINGMONITORED IN TWINFALLS COUNTY... 57 INJEROME COUNTY... 23IN MINIDOKACOUNTY... AND 6 INBLAINE COUNTY.IDAHO'SCORONAVIRUSWEBSITE SAYS DATATHEY RECEIVEDBETWEEN SATURDAYAND TUESDAY WILLBE INCLUDED INTOMORROW'SUPDATE BECAUSE OFTHE MEMORIAL DAYHOLIDAY.TWO MONTHS AGO...BLAINE COUNTY WASIDAHO'S HOT SPOTFOR COVID-19 CASES.NOW... THE SOUTHCENTRAL PUBLICHEALTH DISTRICTSAYS CASES IN THECOUNTY ARE ON THEDECLINE.BLAINE COUNTY ISONLY MONITORING 6ACTIVE CASES OFTHE VIRUS...ACCORDING TOCOVID-19 DATA ONTHE DISTRICT'SWEBSITE.LIKE THE REST OFTHE STATE...COMMUNITYLEADERS SAY THECOUNTY IS SLOWLYBEGINNING TOREOPEN.COMMUNITYLEADERS TOLD IDAHONEWS 6 BACK INAPRIL... THEY'REWATCHING WHATOTHER COUNTIESARE DOING... ANDFEEL READY TO TAKEON CHALLENGES."AS A HOTSPOT, ASAN AREA THAT GOTMORE THAN IT'S FAIRSHARE OF POSITIVETEST CASES OFCOVID, PEOPLE AREWATCHING US TOO,AND SO WE'RETRYING TO SHOWHOW WE CAN OPENRESPONSIBLY."EVEN BEFORE PHASEONE OF THEGOVERNOR'S PLANTO REOPEN THESTATE... COUNTYLEADERS WORKEDTO PROVIDEGUIDELINES FOR THEPUBLIC ANDBUSINESSES.THEY SAYEDUCATING ANDINFORMING THEIRCOMMUNITY... ANDEACH PERSON DOINGTHEIR PART... HASBEEN KEY.PHASE THREE OFTHE GOVERNOR'SPLAN IS SCHEDULEDTO BEGIN ONSATURDAY.