Workers at the pilot waste insulation plant continued to report COVID-19 infections this week, which led the overall installation to 36 cases of viruses.
Between 10 and 15 September, WIPP reported that two workers had tested positive for the virus.
Both symptoms of infection.
One patient was at the WIPP site on September 2, and the other with a long license, according to a WIPP press release.
On Thursday, 14 of the 36 workers who reported positive cases of the virus were cured, according to the statement, according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The Department of Energy and (Nuclear Waste Association) continue to work with all painters to make sure the Department of Health and CDC rules are followed,” he said.
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State records show that the New Mexico Department of Environment (NMED) submitted an immediate reaction to WIPP on September 7 and four and August 30, 28 and 14 and to the Nuclear Waste Partnership on September 12 for a total of 16 cases, NMED documents.
Thursday’s report followed a report last week of two previous virus cases reported through an employee of the nuclear Waste Partnership, WIPP’s primary contractor, as well as an employee of an anonymous subcontractor.
MORE: 34 WIPP inflamed with COVID-19, cases minimized in southeastern New Mexico
Nuclear Waste Partnership spokesman Donavan Mager said the subcontractor’s call had not been made public about the patient’s identity.
Both workers developed symptoms of the virus and were last in WIPP between August 20 and September 22, according to a WIPP press release.
On September 4, 4 nuclear Waste Partnership staff members reported positive control effects for COVID-19 and were the last in the WIPP between August 16 and 27, according to a statement, and worked on the Skeen Whitlock facility and building in Carlsbad.
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Three of the 4 were symptomatic.
The day before, two contractor staff members tested positive after symptoms appeared and were last on August 20.
Another Nuclear Waste Partnership worker reported positive for the virus on August 14, his last report to the WIPP site on August 2.
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Four workers, also from the Nuclear Waste Partnership, tested positive on August 13 with a fifth worker through Environmental Regulatory Services.
Two of these staff members had been quarantined in the past due to possible exposure to the virus and were at the WIPP site on August 2, while the other 3 were on site between August 4 and 6.
Earlier this week, nuclear waste partnership reported that four other staff members had tested positive. Three were quarantined before the effects of the control and the last time on July 30.
MORE: WIPP operations continue amid pandemic, peak COVID-19 cases
The fourth was quarantined after getting sick, he said, and was last on site on August 6. Nuclear Waste Partnership reported previous cases on August 3, July 21 and the first in June.
A CAST Specialty Trucking employee who worked for WIPP at the Carlsbad truck terminal reported a positive verification result on July 8, but had no contact with other WIPP employees.
In May, subcontractors WIPP Constructors Inc and Granite Construction reported on an inflamed worker, and the first positive case related to the WIPP site was reported in April through a worker from Carlsbad Technical Assistance Contractor (CTAC) North Wind Portage.
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Counties in southeastern New Mexico continued to record some of the highest levels of COVID-19, according to state records, while infection rates gave the impression that they were declining across the state.
On Thursday, 10 new cases were reported in Eddy County and 15 in Lea County. Chaves County recorded 17 cases and searched the third building after the state’s two most populous counties, Dona Ana with 21 and Bernalillo with 38.
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In total, the state’s fitness reported 159 new cases in New Mexico with 3 deaths.
A man in his 60s from Bernalillo has been reported by the virus, along with a man about 60 years old from Lea.
Another man in his 40s in McKinley County and a 60-year-old man in Santa Fe are believed to have died of the virus.
The Eddy County total increased to 654 instances on Thursday, while Lea County increased to 1,299 and Chaves County increased to 993.
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The state still led in all cases through Bernalillo with 6,144 reported infections and McKinley with 4,285.
Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced adjustments to the state public fitness order with the aim of curbing the spread of COVID-19, opening a night camp in state parks in teams of no more than 10 people.
The state also has restrictions on sports practices, allowing equipment of 10 or less, while allowing plots of pumpkins and ice rinks to be opened to collect, as well as pools of no more than 10 people at a time.
“We all need to keep moving forward in the fight against the virus,” Lujan Grisham said. “The new Mexicans have done a job. We hope that these adjustments will be an opportunity for families and young people to enjoy more activities safely.
Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus. com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter.