At least 608 employees at the Hormel plant in Rochelle were tested for the coronavirus after an outbreak forced the plant to close, according to the Ogle County Health Department.
On Thursday, 608 employees underwent testing for the virus, and more were expected to be tested Friday. Information about test results wasn't available as of Sunday evening.
As a result of the testing, additional positive coronavirus cases were expected in Ogle County and surrounding counties, health officials said.
The Ogle County Health Department ordered the food plant to close after an outbreak of the virus was confirmed among employees, according to WREX-TV, the NBC affiliate in Rockford. The health department said the company obliged and closed the plant down on Monday.
Rochelle Foods confirmed that workers will continue to be employed, paid and receive health benefits throughout the closure of the plant.
At his daily coronavirus news briefing Sunday, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker acknowledged the Rockford area has "quite a number of cases."
"It concerns me when there's an outbreak in one facility, as well as in an entire community," he said. "We of course are...paying close attention obviously to the food supply and the supply chain food to make sure that it continues and then it stays."
