A COVID-19 outbreak at a Costco in Washington State has left 145 employees infected.
Yakima’s health district said in a statement Wednesday, there was evidence that the surge mimics the kind of activity that occurs after a “superspreader” event where several people are infected at the same time.
All individuals who tested positive complete their isolation or quarantine period, the health district said. The district advised the store to continue testing the entire site for their employees to monitor the outbreak going forward.
Melissa Sixberry, director of Disease Control, said in a statement that they expect the number of cases to increase in the coming days as site-wide testing continues.
Costco employs 383 people KOMO News. Late last week, officials said 68 workers had tested positive.
The outbreak is because Yakima County is facing an increase in COVID-19 cases. Larry Jecha, interim health official, said in a statement that “COVID-19 levels across the country continue to rise.”
“We are seeing record high hospitalizations this week and we need your help to stop the spread,” Jecha said. Remember that masks alone are not an effective intervention. They are masks, combined with social detachment and frequent hand washing, and most importantly, staying home when you are sick, that will help us stop the spread of COVID-19. ”
There have been 19,281 coronavirus infections in the province since the start of the pandemic and 314 deaths, according to a census of the Health district.