OT Coronavirus: America in chaos, News and Updates. One million Americans dead and counting

Acroplis must have opened up and everyone wanted the steak bites. Didn't think that'd be our downfall.

 

My understanding was that the reporter was an MSNBC employee, but the "crew" were all local freelancers. That the crew wasn't wearing masks was actually an example of what the reporter was talking about.

 

This story is breaking and will be updated.

The Townsend Farms cannery in Fairview is the site of the large coronavirus outbreak referenced by state health officials Wednesday that infected dozens of workers, The Oregonian/OregonLive has learned.

About 300 people are employed at the cannery, some of whom began testing positive several weeks ago, according to a person with knowledge of the situation who was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

The cannery never shut down, according to the person, and the heavily Latino workforce continued to work in close quarters.


Although many workers were apparently tested, it appears the results of infections may not have been shared with state public health officials until recently. The Oregon Health Authority on Thursday would not confirm the outbreak at Townsend Farms or address the questions about testing and when officials learned about the infections.


The health authority on Wednesday announced an outbreak at a metro-area business but declined to immediately identify it by name, saying details eventually would be released. Willamette Week first disclosed that Townsend Farms was the site of the outbreak.


The Oregon Occupational Health and Safety Administration received a complaint May 12 about the farm -- one of nine the state agency had received since March 26.


“Social distancing and sanitation is not performed or maintained, 30 positive cases of COVID-19 at facility,” the complaint said.


“Employees tested positive for COVID-19 last week and are back at work four days after testing positive,” the complaint added, according to Willamette Week.


In late March, a complainant told the state that Townsend Farms was “exposing employees to potential COVID-19 infection by failing to ensure employees maintain a minimum 6 foot distance between each other.” On May 1, another complaint alleged that “employees who are sick are still working and threatened with their job if they miss work” and that “supervisors are threatening and belittling workers who express concern for COVID-19.”


It was unclear if the company was ever found to be in violation or if any disciplinary action was taken.

State health officials have now offered tests to Townsend’s workers.


The company, founded in 1906, offers an assortment of frozen berries, including under the Kirkland brand sold at Costco.


Owner Mike Townsend didn’t immediately respond to a message left at the company.


In 2013, Townsend Farms was linked to a hepatitis A outbreak in five states.

https://www.oregonlive.com/coronavi...outbreak-hits-townsend-farms-in-fairview.html

 

The Source of the Mystery COVID-19 Outbreak in Multnomah County Is Townsend Farms
The six-generation fruit growing and processing company is apparently experiencing its second outbreak.

On Wednesday, state officials announced Multnomah County, the last in Oregon to seek to reopen, was also dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak at a business that neither the county nor the Oregon Health Authority would name.

"OHA and local county health authorities are investigating an increase in COVID-19 cases tied to an outbreak at specific locations of a business that operates in the tri-county region and the Willamette Valley," said a May 27 press release. "At this time, there is no indication that the outbreak at these locations poses any significant risk to surrounding communities."

State officials didn't name the company yesterday—and declined to do so when asked for more information. "More details about the outbreak, including location information, will be made available in coming days," the release said.


WW has learned from multiple, independent sources that the company in question is Townsend Farms, a large fruit growing and processing operation established in 1906 and headquartered in Fairview in east Multnomah County.

Earlier this month, Oregon Occupational Safety and Health fielded complaints about a previous outbreak at Townsend Farms.

"Social distancing and sanitation is not performed or maintained, 30 positive cases of COVID-19 at facility," read a complaint filed with OSHA Oregon on May 12.


"Employees tested positive for COVID-19 last week and are back at work four days after testing positive," the complaint continued. (There have been at least eight OHSA complaints filed against the company this year.)

The OHSA complaints from May 12, however, apparently refer to an earlier outbreak—not the outbreak that state officials reported May 27 in their news release.

Townsend runs a big operation at multiple locations. Owner Mike Townsend told the Los Angeles Times earlier this month that he would be hiring 450 migrant workers for the summer and faced unexpected difficulty and expense because of new regulations prohibiting workers from sleeping in bunk beds to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Mike Townsend did not immediately respond to messages left with his receptionist or on his cellphone.

https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/05/...tbreak-in-multnomah-county-is-townsend-farms/

 

I made a thread where the place is.