Washington, Sep 25 (IANS): Seventy-seven workers at a seafood plant in the US state of Oregon have tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The infected workers are from the Pacific Seafood plant in Clatsop County, reports Xinhua news agency.

A private laboratory conducted nucleic acid tests for the plant's 159 night shift workers earlier this week, and 77 tested positive, said the county's public health department on Thursday.

The Oregon Health Authority is taking the lead in arranging for quarantine of the affected individuals while conducting contact tracing.

The agency is also testing the plant's day shift workers, officials said.

None of the positive cases has been hospitalized yet.

Pacific Seafood in Warrenton saw a smaller outbreak in May, when 11 employees and four close contacts tested positive.

On Thursday, Oregon reported 382 new confirmed Covid-19 cases, the highest daily increase since mid-July, bringing the state's total to 31,865.

The pandemic has claimed two more lives, bringing the eath toll to 539, the Oregon Health Authority reported.