41 Employees Test Positive For COVID-19 At Purina Plant In OKC Metro

More than 40 employees tested positive for COVID-19 at the Nestle Purina plant in Oklahoma City, a company spokesperson said in a statement.

The company decided to test all of its employees last week after several positive COVID-19 cases were reported in early October.

In total, 41 employees tested positive for COVID-19 and were sent home to isolate until they were no longer considered contagious, the spokesperson said.

The company said a small number of other employees were asked to quarantine based on close contact with the employees that did test positive.

Production was paused at 7 a.m. on Tuesday to allow for deep cleaning at the production and processing plant. Production restarted at 6 a.m. Wednesday, the spokesperson said.

A Nestle Purina spokesperson released the following statement:

"At Nestle Purina, the health and safety of our associates is always our top priority, and particularly during the pandemic.  

"After learning of several positive COVID-19 cases among employees in early October, Purina made the decision to conduct widespread testing for employees at its Edmond (Oklahoma City) factory. This testing took place last week and found that 41 employees were positive for COVID-19. All persons who tested positive were sent home to isolate until they are no longer considered contagious. A small number of others who did not test positive were also asked to quarantine based on close contact with employees who did test positive. 

"Purina paused production and processing at the Oklahoma City factory at 7 a.m. Tuesday, October 13, to allow for deep cleaning and sanitization of the facility supported by third-party contractors. This extra safety precaution is in addition to ongoing health and sanitary procedures already in place, including daily wellness screenings and temperature checks for arriving employees, disinfecting equipment frequently throughout each day, and electrostatic cleaning of all common areas every evening.  

"Production resumed at 6 a.m. today, October 14.  

"In order to help employees stay on alert, Purina is also planning two educational campaigns for its workforce at the Edmond factory. One, called 'It’s Not Over,' will inform employees and contractors about the ongoing threat posed by COVID-19. The other, called 'What if You’re Wrong?' will provide information about the overlapping nature of some symptoms of cold, flu, and COVID-19 and the importance of recognizing the potential severity of COVID-19. Both campaigns are intended to encourage employees to practice safe behaviors in the community as well as in the factory, and to encourage friends and family to do the same. In addition, Purina plans to conduct another COVID-19 testing event next week."