By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
More than 400 Triumph Foods workers tested positive for COVID-19, though they didn’t display symptoms of the coronavirus.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services reports 412 of the 2,367 workers tested at the St. Joseph pork processing plant last week tested positive. Triumph workers not tested last week are being tested at the Northwest Health Services southside St. Joseph clinic.
This was the largest effort in the state’s strategy to “box in” a COVID-19 outbreak, implemented after Triumph reported two workers tested positive for the coronavirus. Triumph committed to testing all workers in an effort to keep the virus from spreading.
State Health Director Randall Williams confirmed Tuesday at the governor's daily briefing that the state is awaiting more test results from Triumph.
Under CDC guidelines, Triumph employees can return to work if they do not display symptoms for 10 days after being tested.