CLINTON — The Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention has launched an investigation into an outbreak of COVID-19 at Flood Brothers Farm in Clinton, according to officials.
“Just this morning, we opened an investigation into the Flood Brothers Farm, where we are aware of 13 cases of COVID-19,” Dr. Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, said during a press briefing Monday afternoon.
Jenni Tilton-Flood, a member of the family that operates the dairy farm, said the farm was able to react quickly — after a worker had tested positive — thanks to assistance from the Maine Mobile Health Program.
“Flood Brothers has been working with the Maine Mobile Health Program for years. MMHP is a community health center focused on the state’s migrant and seasonal farmworkers and has been helping this workforce by proactive COVID testing since early in the year,” Tilton-Flood wrote Monday in a prepared statement.
“Flood Brothers and MMHP took a proactive approach so that when a single worker tested positive, MMHP sent staff on-site to provide COVID testing to workers in the company and their family members. This proactive testing resulted in positive test results.”
Tilton-Flood said every worker who had tested positive was in isolation and receiving assistance from the farm and MMHP.
“All those who are positive are isolating, and all their close contacts are actively quarantining at home,” Tilton-Flood said. “Flood Brothers and MMHP staff are working together with the workforce to ensure all those involved receive daily symptom checks, food and supplies during quarantine, and medical care for anyone who needs it.”
The 200-year-old, family-owned dairy farm is one of the largest in the state, producing about 15,000 gallons of milk per day, according to the farm’s Facebook page.
The investigation at Flood Brothers Farm, at 839 River Road in Clinton, was launched the same day the state saw its number of COVID-19 cases set a record.
As of Monday morning, 427 new cases were reported, breaking Maine’s one-day record of 349, set last Wednesday.
No deaths related to COVID-19 were reported Monday.
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