57 workers test positive for COVID-19 at Monterey Mushroom plant in Loudon County

LOUDON COUNTY, Tenn. (WVLT) -- According to Loudon County Mayor Rollen "Buddy" Bradshaw, the health department tested nearly 300 workers at the Monterey Mushroom plant last week.
 

He reported 57 of those workers tested positive for the virus.

Monterey Mushroom provides "fresh, locally-grown mushrooms to your favorite grocery stores, restaurants, food manufacturers and institutions," according to their website.

Bradshaw told WVLT News' Gwendolyn Ducre that this information was given to him from the Health Department, which hosted onsite testing at the plant.

"57 of the nearly 300 did test positive for COVID-19. Yes, that is a high number but we’ve known the entire time that active case numbers were not a true reflection of total numbers in the County. I was also told that an overwhelming majority, if not all, were asymptomatic. This is a drastic jump in confirmed cases but it does not change what we should be doing to protect ourselves," said Bradshaw in a Facebook post.

The concerns arose after one employee tested positive for the virus.

All of the employees were notified and "the company is going above and beyond to reduce or eliminate exposure at the plant and folks who tested positive have been made aware and given instructions," Bradshaw said.