Four employees at Yolo County processing facility test positive for COVID-19

Four employees at a nut company based in Winters have tested positive for COVID-19, Jeff Simmons, the operations manager at Mariani Nut Company, said in a statement.

The company received confirmation of the four positive cases on Thursday, Simmons said. Each of the employees was in a separate department in the nut processing facility and used a separate break room, Simmons said.

“So we feel like we have it pretty contained,” he said.

Mariani has closed part of the facility for cleaning, Simmons said.

Other employees have been notified of the positive tests, Simmons said.

“We have a very large safety team, and great communication staff with translators for both Punjabi speakers, Spanish speakers and English speakers,” he said.

The company is in contact with Yolo County health officials about containing the virus, Simmons said.

“For months, we’ve been following all CDC and county guidance, doing everything we can to proactively keep our employees safe and healthy,” Simmons wrote in a statement.

Mariani distributes walnut and almonds across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia, according to the company.