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Beaver Dam's Richelieu Foods to close for the rest of the week, test all employees for COVID-19

Posted at 4:14 PM, May 06, 2020
and last updated 2020-05-06 17:19:29-04

BEAVER DAM — Beaver Dam's Richelieu Foods will be closed the remainder of the week and will test all employees for COVID-19.

After eight confirmed cases at the facility, Richelieu Foods will shut down their plant and test all 420 employees for the coronavirus.

The Wisconsin National Guard is assisting the company in testing employees, who will all be paid for a full 40 hour work week.

“The health and safety of our employees, their families, and our customers has always been our top priority,” said Richelieu Chief Executive Officer Ric Alvarez. "We believe that testing supported by the Wisconsin National Guard is an important next step to quickly identify any unknown cases, treat those employees, and isolate them to prevent further spread.”

Prior to the outbreak, Richelieu implemented additional sanitation procedures including social distancing, and all employees were required to wash their hands before entering the plant. Now, with the closure and outbreak, there will be additional cleaning and sanitation by an external vendor.

“We are continuing our existing safety protocols, while also taking several other steps to control the spread of COVID-19,” said Alvarez.

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