Former Foley mill worker is 3rd local case

Posted on April 29, 2020

A 47-year-old former employee of the Georgia-Pacific (GP) Foley Mill in Perry tested positive for COVID-19 last Thursday, becoming just the third known person to officially contract the coronavirus in Taylor County.

According to figures released by the Florida Department of Health (DOH) at 11 a.m. Tuesday, 222 people in Taylor County have been tested for coronavirus (COVID-19).

Of the completed tests, 214 have been returned negative, with three tests coming back positive for COVID-19 and five still waiting results.

According to the DOH’s most recent COVID-19 update, none of the three Taylor County residents (all female) who have tested positive have required hospitalization or died as a result of the virus.

Statewide, there have been 32,846 positive cases, 5,222 hospitalizations and 1,171 deaths due to COVID-19, according to the 11 a.m. update on Tuesday, April 28.

According to DOH-Taylor Public Information Officer Martine Young, the third local positive case occurred in a 47-year-old female with no recent travel and an unknown contact source.

“She is not hospitalized at this time,” Young added.

GP-Foley Public Affairs Manager Scott Mixon confirmed the most recent case was a former employee who previously worked at the local mill.

“We sent a site-wide message to our employees Thursday evening informing them of a former employee who tested positive for COVID-19 after exhibiting symptoms of the virus,” Mixon said.

“The former employee has not been on site at the Foley Mill since April 20, and has not been in their work area for seven days (prior to April 20),” he said.

“While we do not want to cause unnecessary concern, we did want our employees to be aware of this information,” Mixon added.

“We are conducting a risk assessment of potential exposure to other mill employees and identified others who had close contact with the affected employee. As a precaution, three employees who worked in close proximity with this individual are self-isolating at home for 14 days per the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC),” Mixon said.

“We have notified the appropriate corporate resources, local public health authorities and the Florida Department of Health,” Mixon stated. “The safety and well-being of our employees and customers remains our top priority.”

According to Mixon, as of Friday, April 24, the Foley Mill has transitioned to operating with essential personnel only.

“This closely resembles our ‘weekend’ operation, where there are fewer day shift and salaried employees on site,” Mixon explained.

According to Mixon, the female employee was still employed and able to enter the Foley Mill prior to Monday, April 20.

“The individual left the Foley Mill to pursue other career opportunities as of Monday, April 20,” he said.

“We were made aware of the positive test result on April 23,” Mixon stated. “The individual’s departure from Foley Cellulose occurred prior to the company learning about the positive COVID-19 diagnosis.”

When asked for clarification, Mixon stated the unnamed individual was still employed when she entered the mill on Monday, April 20, but added, “We are unable to provide any additional information on personnel matters.”

In early March, Foley Cellulose implemented additional restrictions on access to the mill. Individuals not employed at the Foley Mill must be approved in advance by the general manager. Security access will not be provided until the approval process is complete, according to Mixon.

“Our leadership team members are in regular contact with corporate leaders to discuss how we limit exposure of COVID-19, using the official guidance provided by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and local health agencies,” Mixon said.

According to Mixon, Georgia-Pacific has not conducted, and does not currently conduct, COVID-19 tests.

“We were first notified of the test when the results were made available. The Taylor County Health Department confirmed the positive test result on Thursday, April 23, days after employment with Foley Cellulose ended,” Mixon pointed out.

According to Mixon, the Foley mill’s scope and method for preventing the spread of the virus include:

• Providing general prevention and precautions per CDC guidance.

• On-site nurse who provides initial screening (possibly including a temperature check and assessment of symptoms) per company doctor’s order.

• Employee health self-assessments.

• Social distancing measures at the facility.

• Sanitation stations.

“The safety and well-being of our employees and customers remains our top priority. The Foley Mill has established protocols in accordance with CDC guidance, and we continue to take precautions to contain the potential spread of the virus,”Mixon said.

“We emphasize to all of our employees who are sick or experiencing respiratory symptoms to not come to work, make an appointment to see their healthcare provider and stay home. From there, we encourage employees to follow the advice of their healthcare provider,” Mixon concluded.

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