Pork Plant Closed Temporarily

OMAHA (DTN) -- Smithfield Foods, Inc., is closing its Sioux Falls, South Dakota, pork plant after more than 80 of its 3,700 employees tested positive for COVID-19.

The company announced on Thursday it will suspend operations at a "large section" of the plant starting on April 11, then completely close it down on April 12-13 for sanitizing.

Minnehaha County, where the plant is located, has the highest number of COVID-19 cases in South Dakota, reporting 274 of the 447 cases statewide as of Thursday afternoon.

"We believe that the employer is taking appropriate action," Republican Gov. Kristi Noem said during a news conference on Wednesday.

The company said in a news release that essential personnel would continue to deep clean and sanitize the plant and will install additional physical barriers to further enhance social distancing. In addition, the company said employees will be paid for any previously scheduled hours during the temporary closure.

"Smithfield Foods is taking the utmost precautions and actions to ensure the health and wellbeing of our employees -- with an even increased emphasis on our critical role in the ongoing supply of food to American families," said Kenneth M. Sullivan, president and chief executive officer of Smithfield.

"Our Sioux Falls plant supplies nearly 130 million servings of food per week, or about 18 million servings per day, to our country. Our more than 40,000 U.S. team members, thousands of American family farmers and our many other supply chain partners are a crucial part of our nation's response to COVID-19."

The company said it already has instituted a series of "stringent and detailed processes and protocols" that follow CDC guidance to manage COVID-19.

That includes mandatory 14-day COVID-19 quarantines with pay. The company said also it has relaxed attendance policies.

In addition, Smithfield is taking measures to minimize employee risks of contracting COVID-19, including adding extra hand sanitizing stations, boosting personal protective equipment, expanding employee health benefits, implementing thermal scanning, increasing social distancing, installing plexiglass and other physical barriers and restricting all nonessential visitors.

Also on Wednesday, Cargill Protein and Animal Health North America temporarily closed a meat-processing plant in Hazelton, Pennsylvania, after an unspecified number of workers at the 900-employee plant tested positive for COVID-19.

"This will allow us to minimize the impact of COVID-19 and and continue follow health department guidelines," Cargill Protein North America lead Jon Nash said in a statement.

"This was a difficult decision for our team, but our values are guiding our actions. We want our employees and the community to know we care. We've taken extra steps to focus on safety and remain operational --- including temporary wage increases, bonuses and waiving co-pays for COVID-19 testing."

Nash said the company also has implemented temperature testing, enhanced cleaning and sanitizing, prohibiting visitors, adopting social-distancing practices where possible and offering staggered breaks and shift flexibility.

"Our facility will re-open as soon as is it is safe to do so," he said.

On Wednesday, the CDC loosened rules on essential workers exposed to COVID-19 returning to work. That includes taking your temperature before work, wearing a face mask at all times and practicing social distancing at work as duties permit.

Todd Neeley can be reached at todd.neeley@dtn.com

Follow him on Twitter @toddneeleyDTN

(BAS/CZ)

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