H/T Richard Craver:
Tyson Foods confirmed Saturday that an outbreak of the COVID-19 virus has led to a temporary shutdown of its fresh chicken production plant in Wilkesboro.
Derek Burleson, a public relations manager for Tyson, said the plant "will be idled Saturday and Monday for deep cleaning and sanitizing, and will resume operations Tuesday."
The plant typically does not operate Sundays. That facility has about 2,200 production and support employees....
Altogether, Tyson has more than 3,000 employees in Wilkes County, making it one of the two largest private employers with Lowe's Cos. Inc.
The total number of infected local Tyson employees has not been released by state and Wilkes public health officials, who cited HIPAA and state regulatory guidelines.
Burleson declined to say how many employees have tested positive for the virus.
Wilkes officials said Friday a majority of the county’s 228 COVID-19 cases are linked to the outbreak, with 86% of the cases considered as contracted through close contact. There have been 11 individuals hospitalized, including nine as of 3 p.m. Friday.
At least 70 cases of COVID-19 are Forsyth County residents who either work at the Tyson plant or have come into close contact with someone who works there, according to the Forsyth Department of Public Health.
3 comments:
Many of their employees live in this county. This company has provided jobs to people who, because of their past criminal records, are unable to find work locally. Because these folks often live with multiple family members, I feel our numbers in this county will increase. I hope they continue to help those who need employment, and that they're up and running asap.
This is an unfortunate situation for everyone.
People ought to think before they buy any meat.
Maybe Trump already has Mad Cow, seems like.
Global warming dictates radical cutbacks in meat consumption. Industrial Chicken farming is a prime vector for avian flu. lightpost should consider what a degrading job confining, killing and disassembling animals is. Maybe they'd like to try it. Seems they are suggesting it as surplus punishment for ex-cons. Tyson Foods does no one any favors but is a dirty, predatory and exploitative abomination. Don't be griping how you can't live without meat. I've done it for more than 50 years.
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