HARVEY COUNTY —The Harvey County Health Department, in conjunction with AGCO Corporation, has confirmed a cluster of COVID-19 cases at the AGCO facility in Hesston, according to a media release from County public information officer Kyle McCaskey.
The cluster includes 14 employees positive for COVID-19. These individuals are isolating at home.
In October the company reported a cluster that included 23 confirmed COVID-19 cases.
The 14 individuals this week were identified through continued precautionary COVID-19 testing implemented by AGCO. AGCO conducts on-site antigen testing of employees as needed for contact tracing and to reduce asymptomatic spread.
“Our priority throughout the pandemic has been the health and safety of our employees, suppliers and customers. The employees that have tested positive have mild or no symptoms at this time, and we wish them good health as they recover and complete their isolation,” said Seth Beytien, AGCO Hesston site leader. “Our on-site COVID-19 testing is helping us ensure a safe work environment at AGCO. While a cluster is undesirable and preventative measures are taken, our onsite COVID-19 positivity rate remains lower than the county and state statistics.”
AGCO has had additional health precautions in place for several months, including increased availability to COVID-19 testing, routine daily disinfecting, mandatory masks regardless of ability to social distance, and continued COVID-19 education.
“While we have seen positive trends overall in local COVID-19 cases, we know the threat of COVID-19 remains persistent,” said Harvey County Health Department Director Lynnette Redington. “AGCO’s testing strategy is extremely beneficial to identifying COVID-19 cases, and in turn, reducing the spread in our communities.”
The cluster will be considered active until there are 28 consecutive days – two incubation periods – without positive cases. Employees will be included in the COVID-19 case counts of their respective county of residence. AGCO is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural solutions and delivers high-tech solutions for farmers feeding the world through its full line of equipment and related services, according to the company web site.