Tyson Foods Inc. will resume limited production at its Waterloo, Iowa, facility, its largest pork plant, amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Tyson Fresh Meats Inc., the corporation's beef and pork subsidiary, said on Tuesday that the plant will restart operations on Thursday. The company indefinitely suspended production at the facility last month weeks due to worker absenteeism.
At the time, the company said it would stop production as the facility’s 2,800 team members were asked to participate in COVID-19 testing at the plant.
Since then, the company said it ordered “an additional deep clean and sanitization of the entire facility.” The company also said in its announcement this week that all workers returning to the plant have been tested for the virus and those who have tested positive will be able to remain on sick leave.
“Team members who have not been tested will be unable to return to work and all new hires will be tested prior to starting work,” the company also said, while adding that “returning team members will see the changes made to promote social distancing and protective measures that meet or exceed [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] guidance.”
The company said it also teamed up with the Matrix Medical Network, a medical clinical services company, to set up a clinic at the plant to provide care to staff, including testing for COVID-19 and screenings.
Tom Hart, plant manager of Tyson’s Waterloo facility, said in a statement that the company’s “top priority is the health and safety of our team members, their loved ones and our communities.”
“We appreciate the collaboration and support of Black Hawk County health officials, Mayor Hart and Sheriff Thompson as we tested team members and took proactive steps to complement our existing prevention efforts, working with epidemiologists and other expert,” he added.
The move comes about a week after President Trump signed an executive order that used the Defense Production Act to require meat processing plants to remain open during the pandemic amid meat shortages in the country.
The reopening arrives on the heels of local reports that say the majority of the company's workforce at a pork processing plant in Perry, Iowa, tested positive for COVID-19.