Farbest reports 101 positive tests
Farbest has reported that of the 588 employees tested last Friday, 101 have been confirmed as Covid-19 positive — 464 tests were negative and they are waiting on the results of 23 tests.
According to a statement from the company, those 101 were asymptomatic positives from various counties.
Farbest stated that although they remain flexible to any changes, the Huntingburg plant is expected to return to operation Wednesday.
“Our number one priority continues to be the safety and health of our employees, and we will make decisions with that in mind,” said Farbest President Ted Seger in an emailed statement.
The company also conducted environmental swab tests for 20 high-touch surfaces in the plant. All 20 of those tests were negative, and the company stated it planned to continue this environmental swab testing in the coming weeks.
Here is a statement from the company.
Based on the expert guidance from and partnership with the Indiana State Department of Health, the Dubois County Health Department, and Memorial Hospital and Health Care Center, Farbest Foods tested all employees at the Huntingburg processing plant for COVID-19 on Friday, May 15th. This was a unanimous decision from all entities involved—one made in an overabundance of caution, as local and state health authorities audited our facilities on May 8th and approved our process protections and control plan in accordance with CDC guidance.
The goal of testing Huntingburg employees was to identify asymptomatic individuals and have them self-isolate for ten days per CDC guidance to protect our employees, their families, and the community from further exposure to the virus. The ISDH administered 588 tests to Farbest Foods Huntingburg employees. Of those 588 tests, 101 of those were confirmed asymptomatic positives from various counties, while 464 of those tests results were negative and 23 tests are still pending verification.
The Farbest Huntingburg plant will be closed Monday, May 18th and Tuesday, May 19th to allow company officials time to contact individuals on more specific work schedules. At this time, the plant is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday, May 20th for those with negative test results. However, due to the rapid speed at which data becomes available, this situation requires flexibility, and we are prepared to adapt our schedule as the need arises. Our number one priority continues to be the safety and health of our employees, and we will make decisions with that in mind.
The ISDH, through the Maximus Contact Tracing Call Center, as well as our own Farbest nurses and Human Resources team members, are in contact with the affected employees regularly. The extensive measures in place at our facilities since mid-March shall not cease, and we shall continue to keep those employees aged 65 years and older (off since March 24th), 60 years or older with compromised immune systems (off since April 6th) and employees who are pregnant, on paid leave from work.
It is worth mentioning that employees in these groups have been off well before our first confirmed positive case on April 28th.
As an added precaution during employee testing, Farbest conducted environmental swab tests for 20 high-touch surfaces in the plant. All 20 of those tests were negative, and we plan to continue this environmental swab testing in the coming weeks. For a complete list of actions taken and more information on our company response thus far, please visit https://farbestfoods.com/farbest-foods-response-to-covid-19/.
At this time, there is currently no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. Please visit the Center for Disease Control, Food & Drug Administration and the US Department of Agriculture websites for more information on the safety of the food supply.
We are grateful for the resources available to test our employees and for the continued support of the Indiana State Department of Health, the Dubois County Health Department, and Memorial Hospital. We thank our employees for their participation in testing, and as always, we wish good health to our team of essential employees and their families.
Ted Seger, President Farbest
So, putting numbers together, 42 positive cases “before” the May 15th testing, which equals in excess of 143 positive cases (adding results of May 15th testing); or were there more just before the 42, or the day after the 42, yet before the Friday May 15th testing? Just trying to really get a true count of how many positive cases at Farbest, total?
That is a good question! Also out if the 163 positive cases I know around 30 are said to have recovered. So how many Farbest Food employees are in that count of the 133? Also it was reported 7 additional people at the jail tested positive so is that number included in the 133? I think the public would like to know more of a breakdown in which cities these people are positive. That doesn’t break the HIPPA law.
Asked a similar question here a couple of days ago – even called the health dept to see if they could/would clarify (forget it – a brick wall of HIPAA facade) – but no one with any facts and/or common sense would/could answer. Will take a stab at it, based on Farbest’s statement that did not indicate that the 101 was solely from the testing on the 15th – only that they had reported 101 positive tests. Their statement AND the previous 42 plus “a few” more they reported on the previous day, seems to indicate the 101 was inclusive of all Farbest positive tests to that date – not 42 PLUS 101. Again, just my opinion/educated speculation. Now another 33 and 43 plus a few others have been reported by the county, but how many of these employees are from Farbest plus who live in/out of the county is unknown. Remember – only Dubois County residents are included in the county totals, and if many of these Farbest-reported employees testing positive are not residents here – which was mentioned is the case – they would be reported in/by their county, not by Dubois. Another thing to remember is that if Farbest hadn’t come forward to self-report to the media, the health dept would have said nothing of this, hard as that is to believe in such a health crisis. How many other multi-employee factories or businesses are included in some of these numbers, but that are remaining silent because they know the health dept will not report/out them, is also unknown. Chances are likely they include some others.
Now it appears the Herald paper is reporting it differently – that there were 42 positive tests over the previous 2 weeks at Farbest, and that of the 588 employees tested Friday, there were 101 positives, which would account for a total of 143 to that date, if still not that number reported by the health dept because of residency. Seems if it was a test in/by any county agency or a medical entity in that county and of an employee(s) working in that county, that it ought to be REPORTED in/by that same county, and easier, too, but maybe that makes too much sense. Hard to figure indeed.
It is so confusing. The public doesn’t know what to think. If I understand what you are saying, that Farbest had 42 positive cases earlier that lived in our county than why didn’t they test all the employees then instead of waiting until now. It went to 101 employees that live in our county which could have been preventable if that is the case. How many other companies have positive cases that the public isn’t aware of! I know I am not the only person having this conversation in Jasper. There are many others.
Farbest notified the media last Wednesday that after they determined 42 employees had tested positive for Covid-19, the plant was shut down and all employees had to be tested before they returned to work. The testing occurred last Friday. On Monday, the company sent out the press release regarding the results of that testing with the information that 101 of those tests had come back positive for Covid-19. We don’t know how many of those positives are in Dubois County and the Health Department has not indicated that number either. We have requested that information and it has not been given to us. The Herald referred to an Associated Press report that the state health department (not local) said there are 91 cases in Dubois County from this number at Farbest but that has not been confirmed locally.
Yes, the health department, mayor and governor don’t give much info other than say keep practicing social distancing, wash your hands and wear a mask out in public. However, there are businesses in our city that are open and employees are not wearing masks. I thought that one was one of the protocols to re-opening. Also people are out in public in groups not doing any of the precautions listed. Go into Walmart and there is a lot of the public not following the arrows on the floor, going through the yellow tape outside the store instead of going around the gate and a lot of people not wearing masks. Yet nothing is really being done about it. I thank those citizens who are taking the precautions. We need to work together out the spread of the virus is going to get worse. Then we will have to go back to where we were and people will be complains. I think our mayor and city officials need to do more than what is being done.
Matthew Crane the question is when did they test the 42 employees that were positive? It was just reported by Farbest on Wednesday but that doesn’t mean that they were tested that day. There is also 101 employees that tested positive but unclear how many of those live in Dubois County. That is where the numbers get confusing. Plus two more positive cases reported today in our county but nothing was mentioned if they were from Farbest. Plus if I read correctly there were still tests results out from Farbest that haven’t came in.
To your previous statement in regards to the 42 reported last week (the media report came out Thursday not Wednesday, my mistake), no one has ever confirmed whether those cases were in Dubois County or what number of those cases reside in our county. Farbest has stated they are being diligent in looking for signs of infection through the questioning of plant employees and taking temperatures daily. The Dubois County Health Department is holding a press conference this week so we hope to get some of these answers from them at that time.
This is the first paragraph from the article. It specifically states OUT OF THE 588 employees tested on FRIDAY 101 test positive.
Farbest has reported that of the 588 employees tested last Friday, 101 have been confirmed as Covid-19 positive — 464 tests were negative and they are waiting on the results of 23 tests.
This next paragraph is from the statement given by Mr. Seger. It also states OF THOSE 588 employees TESTED 101 were confirmed POSITIVE.
The ISDH administered 588 tests to Farbest Foods Huntingburg employees. Of those 588 tests, 101 of those were confirmed asymptomatic positives from various counties, while 464 of those tests results were negative and 23 tests are still pending verification.
In my opinion they didn’t add these 101 positive cases to the other positive cases.