From our news partner Channel3000:
Ninety two of Rock County’s 311 total Coronavirus cases are now linked to an outbreak at the Birds Eye processing facility in Darien.
The plant, which is in Walworth County, was forced to close temporarily after more than 100 workers tested positive, starting in late April.
The Rock County Public Health Department confirmed the number of cases Wednesday afternoon, as Janesville/Beloit entered into the top ten current daily growth rates in the nation, with an average growth rate of 9% each day.
Infection Preventionist Brenda Klahn says by nature, food processing plants lend themselves to the spread of the virus.
“It could have been as simple as something as in the break room they didn’t have people six feet apart,” Klahn, who works for SSM Health in Janesville, said. “Time clocks, standing by the time clocks to punch out if you weren’t six feet away from each other, or on an assembly line if your work stations weren’t six feet apart.”
The Wisconsin National Guard has been called to test 800 people, including employees and family members.
“They’re spreading it within their own company and then you’ll see that family members also affected,” Klahn said. “Because now, they’re taking it home to their families.”
Klahn says until the county can get an accurate number of just how many people might be impacted, the most important thing to do is to continue social distancing practices.
“We need to stay six feet away from people,” she said. “We need to stay out of social gatherings.”
The Rock County Public Health Department says its increased the number of Coronavirus tests it has been able to perform.
In the last two weeks from May 6, the department has had over 1500 people tested in Rock County. In the two weeks before then the department says it had about 500 residents tested for COVID-19.
