May 8, 2020 4:30p
(WGTD)---Kenosha County authorities have released details of the recent COVID-19 testing done at two meatpacking plants, and have revealed that a second employee of a plant in Pleasant Prairie died from the disease.
According to a news release, the victims, Hispanic men, ages 63 and 51, had been employed at Calumet Diversified Meats. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel previously had reported that an employee in his early 50s had died.
The county release said that one of the men had a “history of comorbidities.”
Testing done at the Pleasant Prairie facility on May 2nd by the National Guard and Kenosha County Health Dept. revealed 22 confirmed cases out of 135 employees tested. The company decided to shut down for a week.
Calumet has taken steps to guard against future outbreaks, including requiring all employees to wear masks and face shields. Start times have been staggered, and markings with 6-foot intervals were painted on the floor.
The second plant was identified as Kenosha Beef, where 15 of 419 employees tested positive, with some test results still pending. Testing was done there Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
According to the release, Kenosha Beef responded to its first confirmed case by shutting down two processing lines for two weeks. No employees have been hospitalized.
“We are working proactively with the National Guard, actively testing workers in strategic locations so that we can box in this virus and limit outbreaks as much as possible,” said Kenosha County Health Officer Jen Freiheit in the release. “We appreciate the collaboration of the employers that have welcomed this testing in their facilities,” she said.
In Racine, InSinkErator plant on 21st St. is expected to reopen Monday after two employees tested positive and the company decided to temporarily close for a thorough cleaning.
Cases continue to rise in both Kenosha and Racine counties. In Racine, the number is up by 47, in Kenosha, 29.
“With increased testing comes increases known positives, “ Freiheit said. “These numbers may seem discouraging, but the more we know about where positive cases are popping up and how they’re spreading, the sooner we will be able to contain COVID-19.”
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