More than 100 employees at a greenhouse complex in Madison County have tested positive for the coronavirus, officials announced Monday. Of the 122 new cases, 70 employees live in Madison County. 52 live in Oneida County, but are seasonal workers, not full-time residents, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente said Monday.
Madison County officials said in a statement that after an uptick in positive tests coming from Green Empire Farms in Wampsville, the county worked with the state department of health to test employees at the farm.
"We have always known that if we test more people that there is the possibility of more positive test results," said Public Health Director Eric Faisst in a statement. "We decided to conduct a joint test site with these workers because we knew that a large number of people were possibly exposed. We now understand how much this virus has spread within this community so that we can better contain it."
Officials plan to provide more information at a news conference Tuesday morning.
As of Monday afternoon, Oneida County had reported 67 new cases, for a total of 530. Madison County reported 62 new cases from Sunday, bringing it's total to 246 as of Monday evening.
