PERRY, Ga. — Two employees at the Frito-Lay plant in Houston County were asked to self-quarantine at home for two weeks after possible exposure to coronavirus.
According to Frito-Lay, the two employees are NOT displaying symptoms, and the self-quarantine is under guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health authorities.
Here is the full statement:
“We can confirm that two Frito-Lay employees have been potentially exposed to COVID-19. The employees are not displaying symptoms and, consistent with guidance from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other health authorities, we have asked them to self-quarantine at home for a period of 14 days. We are unable to disclose additional details around the employees in accordance with privacy laws.
The safety of our products, employees, and community remains our top priority. Any cases of employees who have potentially been exposed to the virus are taken extremely seriously. We have put in place a number of measures to protect our people, and continue to enforce already strict preventive safety and sanitation measures in all our locations.”
13WMAZ then asked Frito-Lay if they were planning on closing the facility for cleaning, if all staff at the plant were notified, and if the workers were instructed to notify those around them.
They said they could not share anything else beyond the above statement due to privacy laws.
It is important to note the distinction between ISOLATION and SELF-QUARANTINE.
The CDC says quarantines are used to separate and restrict movement of people who were exposed to a contagious disease to see if they become sick.
The CDC defines isolation as separating sick people with a quarantinable communicable disease from those who aren't sick.
As of the latest update from the Department of Public Health, there are NO confirmed cases in Central Georgia.
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