by: Nouran Salahieh, Lauren Lyster
Three food suppliers in Los Angeles County were ordered to close due to “significant” coronavirus outbreaks among their employees, officials said Monday.
S & S Foods in Azusa had a total of 58 employees test positive for the virus, Mission Foods Corp. in Commerce had 40 who tested positive, and Golden State Foods Corp. in the City of Industry had 43 employees with the virus.
Golden State Foods Corp. is one of the largest and longest-serving suppliers to McDonald’s, and Mission Foods is one of the most popular tortilla makers in the U.S.
“They have significant outbreaks amongst their employees [and] we were not notified, as we’re required to be notified, once they had their three cases,” Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer said during a Monday news conference. “Our inspector asked them to make some modifications to really enhance their infection control protocols at all three sites”
Garment factories, meatpacking plants, and food processing centers in the county have recently experienced some of the worst coronavirus outbreaks.
Workplaces, food, and retail stores and educational settings in L.A. County have to report outbreaks to the health department after they’ve had at least three people test positive for the virus.
As of Monday, 245 such locations were listed on the department’s site for having at least three cases, with the largest outbreaks reported at the Smithfield meatpacking plant in Vernon, with 220 cases, and at Los Angeles Apparel with 384 cases.
Los Angeles Apparel had also been ordered to close its South L.A. garment factory June 27 after four employees died of COVID-19 and inspectors found “flagrant violations” of COVID-19 guidelines.
Read more from our source: KTLA News
