Dole pineapple factory has 34 new Covid-19 cases, 413 total

A Dole pineapple factory in Hua Hin confirmed another 34 Covid-19 infections, accounting for most of the 45 new infections in Prachuap Khiri Khan today. The canned pineapple plant previously had nearly 400 infections.

In a quarantine facility within the Dole Thailand pineapple factory, mass testing people consider to be at-risk turned up the 34 new infections. The factory in Tambon Nong Phlab in Hua Hin previously had 379 Covid-19 infections. With these newly identified employees testing positive for Covid-19, the total in the pineapple plant has surpassed the 400 infection mark to reach 413.

The pineapple factory outbreak is 1 of 2 active Covid-19 clusters in food production facilities in the Hua Hin area currently. Another Coronavirus infection was reported today and connected to a Surachai Poultry Food factory cluster. That factory is located in Tambon Hin Lek Fai, also in Hua Hin. The facility is a chicken processing plant and now has recorded 131 Covid-19 infections.

The chief of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Provincial Public Health Office confirmed the infections in both factory clusters. But he says that, while this is a health issue for the factories, it has not prevented them from operating normally otherwise. Both the pineapple factory and the chicken processing plant are said to be running their production lines at normal capacity despite the Covid-19 outbreaks.

Prachuap Khiri Khan had a few other Covid-19 infections around the province, with 3 cases of people being infected by family members were reported in Bang Saphan district and a Pran Buri resident contracting the Coronavirus from someone in Phetchaburi’s Ban Lat district.

Despite the scattered Covid-19 cases around the province, the cluster in the chicken plant, and the outbreak of new infections at the Dole pineapple plant, the Provincial Public Health Office chief believes that health authorities in the province will be able to contain the Covid-19 outbreaks and keep the situation under control.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post