GUYMON, OKLA. – Seaboard Foods LLC recently released the results of COVID-19 testing at its Guymon, Okla., pork processing facility.

The company said, of the plant’s more than 1,600 asymptomatic employees tested, 350 were positive for COVID-19. In its initial release, Seaboard said 440 employees had active cases of the virus.

As of May 25, 215 employees remained on paid leave and 430 have recovered and returned to work, according to David Eaheart, senior director of communications and brand marketing at Seaboard Foods.

“We knew from watching testing efforts in other areas of the country that when more tests are conducted, more positive test results come in,” Seaboard Foods said in a statement. “We were prepared for that, and the test results reinforce that broad employee testing is the right thing to do to help keep our employees safe and for our employees to understand their COVID-19 status and that of their peers. Only with this data, can we understand the full scope of the situation and use a data-driven and scientific approach to continuously improve.”

The company is working closely with the Oklahoma State Department of Health and the Texas County Health Department to determine next steps and actions needed at the plant.

Seaboard encouraged employees and everyone in the Guymon community to follow the CDC guidelines for protection and prevention and to stay home if they feel ill, self-isolate, seek medical guidance and get tested.

“We remain committed to keeping you informed and will continue to provide updates as we identify solutions based on the data to incorporate in our operations,” Seaboard said. “Our hope is that the information from our broad testing program will help bring peace of mind to our employees and for everyone to understand how our community has been affected by the global pandemic and can help guide our company’s and community’s ongoing response to COVID-19.”