Foster Farms completes round of COVID-19 testing

Foster Farms has completed extensive COVID-19 testing of workers at its turkey processing facilities in Stanislaus County, California, and its chicken processing facilities in Fresno County, California, the company stated.

Roy Graber Headshot
(Foster Farms)
(Foster Farms)

Foster Farms has completed extensive COVID-19 testing of workers at its turkey processing facilities in Stanislaus County, California, and its chicken processing facilities in Fresno County, California, the company stated.

According to a press release from Ira Brill, vice president of communications for Foster Farms, the company administered a total of 6,314 COVID-19 tests to 3,405 workers, with the majority of them being tested twice within a seven-day period.

The company had previously conducted similar testing at its chicken processing plant in Livingston, California, located in Merced County.

With testing completed in Stanislaus and Fresno County facilities, COVID-19 testing has been completed at all of Foster Farms’ “major California processing facilities,” Brill stated, and in all instances, the prevalence of COVID-19 has been found to be less than 1%.

Those who did positive were advised to self-isolate and will receive all appropriate medical benefits, Brill stated.

Testing in Stanislaus County

Foster Farms operates two turkey processing plants and associated facilities in the Stanislaus County city of Turlock. The Turlock facilities employ a total of 1,199 workers.

Between Sept 3 and Sept 11, the company conducted two rounds of COVID-19 testing among workers. A total of 2,134 tests were completed with an overall COVID-19 prevalence level of less than 1%.

Concurrent with the progressive lifting of COVID-19 restrictions following Memorial Day and July 4 in California and Stanislaus County, the Turlock facilities experienced an increase in COVID-19 positive cases. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic Foster Farms Turlock facilities have reported 75 COVID-19 positive cases, with 43 individuals having already returned to work.

The Turlock Turkey Distribution Center, a support facility with 30 employees, recorded a single positive case.

Fresno County testing results    

September 1 and September 10, Foster Farms conducted two rounds of COVID-19 testing among workers at the two chicken processing plants it operates in Fresno County. These plants employ a total 2,612 workers. 

A total of 4,180 tests were completed with an overall COVID-19 prevalence level of less than 1%. Concurrent with the progressive lifting of COVID-19 restrictions following Memorial Day and July 4 in California and Fresno County, the Foster Farms facilities experienced an increase in positive cases. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Foster Farms Fresno facilities have reported 158 COVID-19 positive cases, with 75 individuals having already returned to work. Two Fresno County workers died from complications associated with COVID-19.

Cases in Merced County

Foster Farms’ chicken processing plant in Livingston reopened on September 8 after operations were suspended for about a week at the order of the Merced County Department of Public Health (MCDPH).

According to MCDPH, as of August 27, eight employees at the plant have died of health complications related to COVID-19, and 358 employees have tested positive at the time it issued its order.

Through Labor Day, Foster Farms conducted more than 4,800 COVID-19 tests of the Livingston complex workforce. Results of the recent testing indicate a COVID-19 prevalence of less than 1% positive, the company said. The employees that did test positive were advised to self-isolate and will receive all appropriate medical leave benefits.

Mitigation efforts

While testing has been conducted at all facilities, the company will continue with mitigation efforts and additional testing at all of its plants, the company said.

“Foster Farms closely follows CDC guidance and began implementing mitigation efforts to protect workers in mid-March. These efforts now include daily wellness and temperature checks, partitioning of work and break area spaces, providing face mask and face shields to employees, along with ongoing communication to the workforce. Foster Farms will be conducting follow-up surveillance testing at its major processing facilities to further identify and reduce the risk of COVID-19 to workers,” Brill said.

“COVID-19 represents a continuing challenge to all who live and work in California. This challenge is especially felt by companies like Foster Farms that share the special responsibility of keeping food on our supermarket shelves, while ensuring the health and welfare of employees. Foster Farms’ recent testing program, indicating a less than 1% prevalence level among workers, is substantive proof that we can, and will, do both.”

 View our continuing coverage of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.

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