Intalco announces that Ferndale employee tests positive for coronavirus
Alcoa’s Intalco Works in Ferndale reported that it has had an employee test positive for COVID-19, the novel coronavirus, and has been working with the Whatcom County Health Department to respond.
Intalco spokesperson Laura McKinney told The Bellingham Herald about the positive test in an email Wednesday, March 25, adding that the health department has advised the plant that “our protocols are appropriate to mitigate risks at our facility, as the county is currently experiencing community transmission.”
The Ferndale aluminum smelter is the only one operating in Washington state and employed approximately 700 people in 2019.
Intalco is part of the Critical Manufacturing Section, as defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, McKinney said. That means it will continue operating during Gov. Jay Inslee’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” order, which begins at 12:01 a.m. Thursday, March 26.
McKinney said that during the past two weeks, Intalco has worked to protect employees and the facility from the risks of COVID-19 by practicing good social distancing and instituting additional hygiene protocols.
The Whatcom County Health Department reported that 66 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 in numbers released Wednesday. Two Whatcom County residents that tested positive have died.
More than 454,000 cases of COVID-19 have been confirmed worldwide, with more than 20,500 deaths as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Johns Hopkins University. The United States has more than 61,000 confirmed cases, with at least 849 deaths.
Overall, the Washington State Department of Health reported 2,469 cases and 123 deaths as of Tuesday afternoon. Fifty percent of the deaths in the state have been from people 80 and older.
Additional information on Alcoa’s COVID-19 response can be found at alcoa.com.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREWhat you should know about the coronavirus
COVID-19, the new coronavirus, is a disease caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2.
The disease is spread through contact between people within six feet of each other, especially through coughing and sneezing that expels respiratory droplets that land in the mouths or noses of people nearby.
Although most of the cases have been mild, the disease is especially dangerous for the elderly and others with weaker immune systems.
Click the drop-down icon in the upper right of this card for more information on symptoms and how to stop its spread.
What you can do
Here’s what you can do to protect yourself and others from COVID-19, according to the Whatcom County Health Department.
▪ Keep six feet between yourself and others when in public.
▪ Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
▪ Don’t touch your eyes, nose or mouth with hands that haven’t been washed.
▪ Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue in the trash and then wash your hands.
▪ Stay home if you feel sick. Avoid others who are sick.
▪ If your symptoms are severe and require medical care, call your doctor first.