Rhea Mahbubani
A Tyson Fresh Meats plant stands in Waterloo, Iowa, date not known. On Friday, April 17, 2020, more than a dozen Iowa elected officials asked Tyson to close the pork processing plant because of the spread of the coronavirus among its workforce of nearly 3,000 people. (Jeff Reinitz/The Courier via AP) Associated Press
Meat supplier Tyson Foods, Inc. decided on Wednesday to "indefinitely suspend" operations at its pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, which has been blamed for a large COVID-19 outbreak.
Nearly 200 people have tested positive for coronavirus, and others, scared of contracting the disease, have been staying home.
The closure will impact the country's meat supply because "the plant is part of a larger supply chain that includes hundreds of independent farmers, truckers, distributors and customers, including grocers," Tyson Foods said in a statement.
Tyson Foods, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it plans to shut down its largest pork plant, located in Waterloo, Iowa, after nearly 200 workers were infected with the coronavirus.
In a press release, the company said it will "indefinitely suspend" operations at the facility where about 2,800 are employed. Team members can return for COVID-19 testing later this week, it added.
Meat supplier Tyson Foods, Inc. decided on Wednesday to "indefinitely suspend" operations at its pork processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, which has been blamed for a large COVID-19 outbreak.
Nearly 200 people have tested positive for coronavirus, and others, scared of contracting the disease, have been staying home.
The closure will impact the country's meat supply because "the plant is part of a larger supply chain that includes hundreds of independent farmers, truckers, distributors and customers, including grocers," Tyson Foods said in a statement.
But Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart told CNN that this step came "too late."
Tyson Foods, Inc. announced on Wednesday that it plans to shut down its largest pork plant, located in Waterloo, Iowa, after nearly 200 workers were infected with the coronavirus.
In a press release, the company said it will "indefinitely suspend" operations at the facility where about 2,800 are employed. Team members can return for COVID-19 testing later this week, it added.
In addition to some 180 people who have fallen sick, hundreds — afraid of catching the virus — have stayed home, forcing the plant to cut back on its production levels, the Associated Press reported.
"Despite our continued efforts to keep our people safe while fulfilling our critical role of feeding American families, the combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 cases, and community concerns has resulted in our decision to stop production," group president Steve Stouffer said
This closure will trigger "significant" ripple effects outside Tyson Foods, Stouffer added, because "the plant is part of a larger supply chain that includes hundreds of independent farmers, truckers, distributors and customers, including grocers. It means the loss of a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the disruption of the nation's pork supply."
Although pleased with the plant's closure, Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart told CNN that this step came "too late."
"We went from 21 cases of Covid on April 9 to about 380 yesterday, and we even doubled that number in two days from 191 to 380. So at this point, closing, cleaning, testing people, is the best scenario for it," he said
Hart stressed that battling the coronavirus should be a bipartisan issue.
"It hurts when it feels like your pleas to people falls on deaf ears," he told CNN. " This isn't a political issue. It's not a Republican, not a Democrat [issue]. This is a humanitarian issue. And we needed proactive steps to be able to squash this spread."
Tyson Foods has already shuttered its Columbus Junction pork processing plant in a bid to safeguard employees from COVID-19, after 186 people tested positive for the illness, the Hill reported. Four workers at Tyson Food's poultry processing plant in Georgia died of the coronavirus.
The Waterloo plant alone can process around 19,500 hogs a day, AP said. Its closure, combined with that of the Smithfield Foods pork processing facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is sure to disrupt the meat supply nationwide.
Hart acknowledged that the Waterloo plant's closure will affect the national food chain, but underscored that "in order to be able to stop the spread, this was the best course of action to support the workers that prepare our food," according to CNN.
Multiple sources told Hoosier Ag Today that Tyson Foods is also preparing to shut down its plant in Logansport, where an unknown number of employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. Production was called off on Wednesday, according to the media organization that covers Indiana's agriculture industry. Tyson Foods has not yet confirmed this information.
This closure will trigger "significant" ripple effects outside Tyson Foods, Stouffer added, because "the plant is part of a larger supply chain that includes hundreds of independent farmers, truckers, distributors and customers, including grocers. It means the loss of a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the disruption of the nation's pork supply."
Although pleased with the plant's closure, Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart told CNN that this step came "too late."
"We went from 21 cases of Covid on April 9 to about 380 yesterday, and we even doubled that number in two days from 191 to 380. So at this point, closing, cleaning, testing people, is the best scenario for it," he said
Hart stressed that battling the coronavirus should be a bipartisan issue.
"It hurts when it feels like your pleas to people falls on deaf ears," he told CNN. " This isn't a political issue. It's not a Republican, not a Democrat [issue]. This is a humanitarian issue. And we needed proactive steps to be able to squash this spread."
Tyson Foods has already shuttered its Columbus Junction pork processing plant in a bid to safeguard employees from COVID-19, after 186 people tested positive for the illness, the Hill reported. Four workers at Tyson Food's poultry processing plant in Georgia died of the coronavirus.
The Waterloo plant alone can process around 19,500 hogs a day, AP said. Its closure, combined with that of the Smithfield Foods pork processing facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is sure to disrupt the meat supply nationwide.
Hart acknowledged that the Waterloo plant's closure will affect the national food chain, but underscored that "in order to be able to stop the spread, this was the best course of action to support the workers that prepare our food," according to CNN.
Multiple sources told Hoosier Ag Today that Tyson Foods is also preparing to shut down its plant in Logansport, where an unknown number of employees have tested positive for the coronavirus. Production was called off on Wednesday, according to the media organization that covers Indiana's agriculture industry. Tyson Foods has not yet confirmed this information.
A healthcare worker administers a COVID-19 test at the White House in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/UPI | License Photo
April 22 (UPI) -- Tyson Foods announced Wednesday it's suspending operations at its Waterloo, Iowa, plant after almost 200 workers tested positive for the coronavirus disease.
The Springdale, Ark.-based company said the pork plant closure will be indefinite, depending on the health of its workforce.
Tyson said operations have been running at reduced levels in recent weeks as workers missed work due to ill health. Local officials told The Courier in Waterloo more than 180 employees tested positive for COVID-19 and one died.
The company said it plans to invite the Waterloo workers, which number 2,800, back to the plant later this week for testing.
"Despite our continued efforts to keep our people safe while fulfilling our critical role of feeding American families, the combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 cases and community concerns has resulted in our decision to stop production," said Steve Stouffer, group president of Tyson Fresh Meats.
"The closure has significant ramifications beyond our company, since the plant is part of a larger supply chain that includes hundreds of independent farmers, truckers, distributors and customers, including grocers," he added. "It means the loss of a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the disruption of the nation's pork supply."
Waterloo Mayor Quentin Hart said he's pleased with the company's decision to suspend operations.
"This is the action we have been waiting for," he told The Courier. "Now we must do everything we can to make sure testing and support are in place and personal precautions are maintained. The virus is here. We must all do what we can to contain it."
Tyson said employees at the plant will be paid while it's closed. Other Tyson facilities throughout the country are still in operation, some at reduced levels due to the pandemic.
There have been more than 3,600 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Iowa and 83 deaths, according to The New York Times. Black Hawk County, where the Tyson pork plant is located, has the fourth-highest number of cases in Iowa (366) and two deaths. The county's case growth rate indicates the number of infections has sped up in recent days.
To date, there have been almost 835,000 coronavirus cases in the United States and nearly 46,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
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