KITTITAS – The Kittitas County Incident Management Team (IMT) will be drafting a report to the state that includes information on how we have contained the outbreak associated with Twin City Foods, Inc. in Ellensburg, Washington. The data shows that the outbreak is winding down at this time. For example, the IMT most recently received one positive test result with 31 negative test results and the one positive patient is associated with the outbreak.

This week, the IMT tested close contacts to Twin City Foods, Inc. cases and will receive results this weekend. Anecdotally, the expectation is that as a result of that testing event, we will only see about five or so additional positive cases. Our Phase 2 variance was put on hold to ensure that Kittitas County could contain the outbreak and we are asserting that we have successfully mitigated the outbreak.

In response to the outbreak, the IMT implemented immediate mass testing of all employees, coordinated isolation and quarantine of employees and close contacts, and continued to work closely with Human Resources at Twin City Foods for employees returning to work. Recently, the IMT tested close contacts as a way to ensure the outbreak was on the decline. “Efficiency is already increasing for our ability to mass test for COVID-19,” states Operations Section Chief Darren Higashiyama. “We have gone from five and a half minutes to four and a half minutes per patient and will continue to increase our testing efficiency.”

As Kittitas County responds to the known outbreak, we are also working to mitigate any potential exposures as a result of Memorial Day Weekend. The IMT will also include the work being done this weekend to the state in regard to our variance application.

For more information about the masking mandate, please visit www.co.kittitas.wa.us. If you have questions about your health, please contact your healthcare provider or you can call the Temporary COVID Clinic at KVH at 509-933-8850. If you are having a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the Emergency Department at KVH. If you have general questions about COVID-19, please call the EOC at 509-933-8315 or 509-933-8305.

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us.