Pacific Seafood on Sunday disclosed that 124 of its employees and local contractors have tested positive for coronavirus in what is the second largest workplace outbreak of the virus in the state to date.
The number reported by the business is nearly twice what the Oregon Health Authority initially reported Sunday morning. An Oregon Health Authority spokesman said the state pulls the data once a day and that the number of confirmed positives had risen since it collected the data early Sunday.
The public health investigation into the outbreak began June 2, according to the state. State officials said the initial tally fell below the threshold for public disclosure, which the state set at more than five cases in workplaces with more than 30 workers.
Officials said the risk to the public is low.
On Sunday, Pacific Seafood issued a statement saying it provided testing for 376 workers at its five Newport facilities.
Fifty-three employees and 71 local contractors tested positive.
The company said 95 percent of those who tested positive did not report any symptoms. None have been hospitalized. The positive tests are concentrated at the Pacific shrimp processing facility location.
The company said it has suspended operations at all five locations. It also said it would carry out “detailed contract tracing.”
Additionally, a dozen new cases in Hood River that were disclosed Sunday are linked to outbreaks at seasonal agricultural facilities.
According to the latest data from the state Health Authority, with 167 confirmed cases, the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem is the largest workplace outbreak in Oregon with 167 confirmed cases. Townsend Farms in Fairview is now the third largest workplace outbreak with a 51 cases.
The disclosures of outbreaks at various businesses came as the state Health Authority reported the highest number of confirmed and presumptive COVID-19 cases to date. The state on Sunday reported 146 new cases and one new death. The second-highest number disclosed on a single day was 100 cases on April 4.
Of the new cases, 22 in Multnomah County “appear to be from sporadic sources,” the Health Authority said.
-- Noelle Crombie; ncrombie@oregonian.com; 503-276-7184; @noellecrombie
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