COVID-19 cases confirmed in Springfield Regional Medical Center, Navistar employees

CLARK COUNTY — More outbreaks of COVID-19 have been spotted in Clark County, including in hospital and industrial employees.

At last check, the county had 304 confirmed cases and 71 probable cases for a grand total of 375. The county is still on the upswing of its pandemic curve.

The Clark County Combined Health District said staff at Mercy Health Springfield Regional Medical Center alerted them to a possible outbreak involving a group of employees.

The health district says 13 employees at the hospital and two contacts of those employees are affected.

One employee spread the virus to a group of about 10 employees – although it’s not clear if that original employee contracted the virus while they were working at the hospital or while they were off the clock.

There were also some isolated cases in other employees.

All of those employees at no longer at work, and the health district says they are not in jeopardy of infecting any patients or anyone else who may come into the hospital.

“If you have an issues and you need to go to the hospital, the hospital is a safer place to go to than being out in public or being out at a big box store someplace,” Clark County Health Commissioner Charles Patterson told News Center 7’s Jenna Lawson.

When asked about the confirmed cases, Mercy Health sent News Center 7 this statement that reads:

Mercy Health - Springfield has associates who have tested positive for COVID-19. These associates are quarantining at home.

We follow safety protocols each and every time we care for patients and also follow guidance provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the state department of health to minimize exposure to other patients and our associates.

We have followed all CDC cleaning protocols and Mercy Health remains a safe place to work and to seek care.

The health district is also continuing to monitor a workplace outbreak at the Dole Plant in Springfield. On Saturday, widespread testing for employees will be conducted whether they are showing symptoms of COVID-19 or not.

At last check, there were 37 Clark County residents working at the plant who have tested positive for the virus. In total, about 900 people work at Dole.

There is also another small outbreak surfacing in the county at Navistar. In a newsletter sent out to employees, the company says four people at the facility have tested positive for the virus and more are awaiting test results.

The company encouraged employees to continue practicing good hygiene, social distancing and mask-wearing while on the job – saying employees would not be punished for staying home from work if they thought they could be sick.

“It is your social responsibility to not place your co-workers lives in danger,” the newsletter states.

© 2020 Cox Media Group