Friday, April 24, 2020

Greeley beef plant re-opens today

The huge beef-packing plant at Greeley, Colo., re-opened today after it was closed last week because four employees died of COVID-19 and more than 100 were infected.

But Tyson closed its beef-packing plant at Pasco, Texas, and all workers there are undergoing testing for COVID-19.

JBS USA and the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment announced safety measures have been put in place, including testing every employee before they enter the plant for the next five days.

They will have to wear protective masks, use hand sanitizers placed throughout the plant and practice physical distancing.

The company has to put up signs and communications in a number of different languages spoken by the approximately 1,000 workers.

The JBS plant at Brooks, Alta., continues to operate, but at a much-reduced rate. One worker there has died and about 100 have tested positive.

Cargill’s plant at High River remains closed. One worker there has died and more than 400 infections have been traced to that plant. 
A third Albertan who was closely associated with one of the beef plants has also died of COVID-19.

In Ontario, Maple Leaf Foods Prime Poultry plant in Brampton is nearing the end of a two-week closure, but its huge new meat-processing plant at Hamilton remains in operation.

Conestoga Meat Packers east of Kitchener has seven confirmed cases of COVID-19, but remains in operation with much greater safety measures.