Tyson Is Shutting Down Operations At Its Largest Pork Plant Indefinitely Due To COVID-19 Concerns
Tyson Foods Inc. has announced that its Waterloo, IA, pork plant will be closing due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. This location is Tyson's largest pork facility and has already been functioning at slower production rates due to workers calling out sick.
Last week, Mayor Quentin Hart, called for the closure as the Tyson facility has been linked to 182 of the county's 374 COVID-19 cases at the time, according to CNN. Tyson will continue paying workers affected by the indefinite closure, and around 2,800 employees are set to be tested for the virus.
Tyson Fresh Meats, a subsidiary of Tyson Foods Inc. that produces beef and pork, also announced in a news release that it will be closing a facility in Logansport, IN. This meat plant was closed on April 20 for deep cleaning and sanitizing and has been running limited production ever since. It's expected that production will completely shut down some time this weekend.
President of Tyson Fresh Meats Steve Stouffer said that the ultimate decision to close these production facilities is the best option for keeping employees safe and healthy.
"While we understand the necessity of keeping our facilities operational so that we can continue to feed the nation, the safety of our team members remains our top priority,” he explained: “Our company is deeply embedded in our plant communities, including Logansport. We’re working with the county to make sure our people and the community are safe. The combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 cases, and community concerns has resulted in a collective decision to close.”
This news follows a similar announcement made by Smithfield Foods last week. Many fear these closures will make meat products harder to come by in grocery stores in the coming weeks.
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