(File Photo)

(Potter Twp., Pa.) There has been a recent uptick of positive cases of the COVID-19 at the Shell Cracker Plant in Potter Twp. Shell said in a statement that there are 14 confirmed active cases among the workforce at the Potter Township construction site. Shell says in the statement that 21 workers are confirmed to have recovered from the COVID-19 and have been cleared to return to work.

Shell states that they currently have around 4,000 workers on site and continue to add workers at a measured pace with decisions made on a weekly basis of adding employees.

Shell has a testing lab on site and said as they add additional workers, the site’s testing lab is providing site leaders with a valuable tool that is helping the site to protect worker safety and manage COVID-19 challenges.  All workers newly joining or rejoining the work force undergo reorientation training that includes an onsite COVID-19 test required to gain badge access to site.  To date, the site’s testing lab has conducted more than 1,000 COVID-19 tests, with an approximate positivity rating of 1 percent.

Shell said in the statement that site safety is a priority and  they continue to follow and enforce COVID-19 guidelines as provided by the Center for Disease Control and the Pennsylvania Department of Health. Those include social distancing, mandatory masks, sanitizing stations, temperature screening, and lunchroom protocols that use tables with plexi-glass dividers with only two workers per table.

Shell states they may adapt their practices as conditions and corresponding guidelines change.