Barron County (WQOW) – Nearly half of the employees at a manufacturing plant in Barron County have now tested positive for COVID-19.
According to the Barron County Department of Health and Human Services, 44% of employees at Seneca Foods in Cumberland became ill with the virus.
“While this is a major outbreak, it’s not the only thing contributing to the high number of cases in Barron County,” said Health Officer Laura Sauve. “Forty percent of the positive cases reported in the past month are not related to the outbreak. They are returned to travel, meetings and folop areas and events. ”
On July 19, the first case related to Seneca Foods was reported to Barron County. On July 29, the health department reported a cluster of cases at the plant.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, 315 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Barron County. More than 260 of those cases came in just last month.
News 18 has discovered both Seneca Foods and Barron County’s health and human services department to find out exactly how many employees are testing positive, but since publication they have not heard back.
