Coronavirus: Cases connected to outbreak at Dole vegetable packaging plant climbs to 22

SPRINGFIELD — Two additional COVID-19 cases connected to an outbreak at the Dole vegetable packaging plant in Springfield have been confirmed, bringing the total number associated with the outbreak to 22, according to the Clark County Combined Health District.

RELATED: 20 COVID-19 cases connected to Dole vegetable packaging plant in Springfield

County health officials announced the Tuesday the first 20 cases associated with the outbreak. With the two new cases announced Wednesday, 14 employees and eight contacts of employees have either tested positive for COVID-19 or are presumed positive, health officials said.

RELATED: There will be ‘a lot more’ coronavirus cases associated with Dole plant outbreak, health official says

The transmissions appear to be from traveling to the plant of interactions with living arrangements outside the plant, Charles Patterson, Health Commissioner, Clark County Combined Health told News Center 7′s John Bedell. Patterson added that there has not been any evidence of transmission of the virus inside the plant itself.

County health officials have brought in additional staff to help ramp up contact tracing, one of the tactics being used to prevent the spread of the disease.

“That’s why we’re bringing additional staff on this week to help us out. They’re being trained as we speak as the pandemic curve continues to rise in Clark County. We want to be able to use that contact tracing and prevent additional disease spread," Patterson said.

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