DOLE SPRINGFIELD SALAD PLANT IDENTIFIES POSITIVE COVID CASES

May 19, 2020
The safety of employees, families, communities and products remain Dole's top priority.
Since the onset of COVID-19, Dole Fresh Vegetables and Clark County Combined Health
District (CCCHD) have maintained a close relationship and constant communication.
In addition to implementing all public health recommended precautions—social distancing,
extensive hand washing, wearing of face masks at all times in our facilities, mandated selfquarantining of employees and contractors exposed to COVID-positive individuals, and
increased frequency of deep cleaning and sanitation at the facility, especially in high touch
areas—Dole has additionally welcomed CCCHD to come into and inspect the Springfield Salad
Facility. Following the inspection, during which CCCHD noted the many protective procedures
implemented by Dole, the facility implemented additional protocols based on their
suggestions to further increase the safety of our employees and contractors. These include
greater distancing and separation of workers in our facility, table dividers installed in our
cafeteria and similar dividers in our packing room for added protection.
Despite these protocols, 10 Dole salad plant employees and contractors (excluding nonconfirmed cases and contacts with individuals other than Dole plant workers) have tested
positive for COVID-19. Contract tracing of positive individuals did not appear to reveal any
clustering nor evidence of transmission of the virus within our plant. Nor are we aware that
any of the individuals identified through contact tracing have tested positive for the virus. We
cannot state with certainty how the transmission occurred, but these results lead us to believe
that the plant is not the source of transmission.
No matter how the transmission occurred, however, Dole will continue to place employee
health and well-being above all else in our efforts to keep fresh salads on shelves across the
nation.

Dole Food Company • 200 S. Tryon St., Charlotte, NC 28202 • Dole.com