By Miranda Gilbert
Texas County Emergency Management PIO
Texas County officials have confirmed the fifth positive COVID-19 is a Seaboard employee. This person was tested 10 days ago, has been quarantined, and was notified of the positive result on Saturday, April 11.
Seaboard, citing a strong commitment to communicating openly and candidly as the COVID-19 situation evolves, shared updates on the impact of COVID-19 and said that they are collaborating with the Texas County Health Department.
“Our main concern has been, and will continue to be, the well-being of our employees,” David Eaheart, Senior Director of Communications and Brand Marketing said. “We are providing support to the impacted employee through our COVID-19 paid leave and health benefits programs, which includes two weeks of normal wages.”
“The person has not reported to work since being tested. As of today, Seaboard Foods has no other confirmed cases of COVID-19 from our workforce,” he added.
Eaheart also spoke of ongoing plant safety and the use of recommendations from the Center’s for Disease Control.
“Following recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we have robust sanitization and sterilization protocols, and implemented preventive measures and resources in place at the plant for our team to address this situation in accordance with the highest health standards:
-Pre-Screen: We take the temperature of employees prior to entering the plant.
-Regular Monitoring: We’ve instructed the onsite health services office to monitor anyone with flu-like symptoms and determine if there needs to be additional steps taken to care for that person. We continue to ask any employees who don’t feel well to be assessed by health services or web-based medical services and to stay home and self-isolate.
-Face Coverings: Employees are required to wear a face covering at all times while in the plant.
-Social Distance: We’ve implemented physical distancing protocols where practical throughout the operational and employee common areas of the plant, and we’ve installed new protective systems like plexiglass dividers on cafeteria tables and extra seating areas to help our employees maintain physical distancing guidelines in break areas.
-Disinfect and Clean Workspaces: We’ve increased janitorial staff at plants by 10 percent, and this staff is focused on regularly sanitizing all areas of the plant, such as offices, bathrooms, common areas, shared electronic equipment, and commonly touched surfaces. In addition, we’ve also begun routinely using antiviral fog in employee common areas and offices,” he said.
All residents are encouraged to seek testing when experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. The three main symptoms include a fever, shortness of breath, and coughing. In about 40 percent of cases, diarrhea is also present prior to the fever and cough.
Drive-Through testing is offered for FREE by the Texas County Health Department Monday through Thursday from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The individual only needs to have one COVID-19 symptom present to be tested, but an appointment is required. Appointments are available by calling TCHD at 580-338-8544.
Testing in Texas County is also available from Internal Medicine Clinic, Specialty Clinics of St. Anne’s, Memorial Hospital of Texas County, and Xpress Wellness Urgent Care.
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