Chilean salmon farming, processor and harvesting firm Blumar will quarantine 250 workers after additional positive cases of covid-19 were discovered at its Salmones de Talcahuano processing facility, slashing the plant's output to a fraction of its normal levels.

The quarantine was mandated by Chilean health authorities after five cases of coronavirus were confirmed among employees at the plant: two in the maintenance area and two in the processing area, Blumar said in an announcement on the Santiago Stock Exchange.

All workers on duty during the shift have been placed on preventative quarantine.

As a result of the quarantine, Blumar said it would reduce capacity at the plant severely, operating with 50 percent of the remaining workers across two shifts. Roughly 450 employees work at the plant.

Blumar said overall production capacity of the plant would be reduced to 30 percent of its pre-crisis levels, and its output would be shifted toward less labor-intensive products. Some 140 administrative employees were already working from home offices.

Blumar first reported a 35-year-old employee tested positive for coronavirus on March 21. At that time, nine workers who had contact with the worker on his shift were quarantined.

Chilean salmon producers are cutting the number of workers allowed on each shift and reducing production to avoid the potential spread of the deadly coronavirus.

In an update on Twitter, Arturo Clement, CEO of trade association SalmonChile, outlined measures being taken by Chile's salmon industry to stem the transmission of the virus.

In addition to cutting production, Clement said the industry has developed a plan to reduce the number of people at producers' operations and minimize risks for colleagues.

Health controls are being implemented, including taking workers' temperatures prior to entering processing areas.

In addition, sanitary measures are being deployed for transport, bathrooms, corridors, dining rooms and infrastructure, and alcohol gel is available at strategic points.

"We can clearly state that companies that belong to the association are taking all the necessary measures to prevent possible infections," Clement said.

Blumar Commercial Director Daniel Montoya told IntraFish on March 24 that its plants were operating at around 50 percent of normal levels.

Measures began with an awareness campaign and restricting meetings and trips, but have been extended to include measures outlined by SalmonChile, including the use of face masks and alcohol gel, as well as fumigation and surface cleaning.

Coronavirus

Covid-19 outbreak spreads at salmon processing plant; 250 workers quarantined