COLUMBUS JUNCTION, Iowa — More than two dozen workers at the Tyson Foods pork plant in Columbus Junction have COVID-19, according to a statement from the company. This has prompted the facility to temporarily shut down operations.
The temporary shut-down started the week of Monday, April 6 and continued for the week of Monday, April 13.
"We will continue to pay our Columbus Junction team members while they are out and will also continue to divert livestock originally scheduled for delivery to Columbus Junction to our other pork plants, where possible," said a spokesperson from the company.
Tyson Foods have implemented heightened safety protocols for employees to prevent the spread of the virus. According to the company statement, they take workers' temperatures before entering facilities, they have taken extra sanitation steps by deep cleaning certain areas and are promoting social distancing.
"In an effort to minimize the impact on our overall production, we’re diverting the livestock supply originally scheduled for delivery to Columbus Junction to some of our other pork plants in the region," read the statement.
Across its facilities, Tyson employs about 141,000 workers.