1 in 4 workers at North Carolina Tyson plant are COVID-19 positive
One quarter of the staff at the Tyson Foods plant in Wilkesboro, North Carolina tested positive for coronavirus.
25 May 2020
2 minute read
By: CNN reports that of the 2,220 workers at the poultry plant, 570 have tested positive for COVID-19. Tyson reports that the majority of employees are asymptomatic and that the cases would not have been reported without scaled-up testing protocols. The company told CNN that most of the test were carried out between 6 and 9 May.
The company opted not to close the Wilkesboro plant, citing President Trump’s executive order that orders processing plants to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Instead, Tyson carried out “additional deep cleaning” in the middle of May and limited operations. Production has increased since the cleaning. Sick employees will receive paid leave and can return to work when they meet “criteria established by both the CDC and Tyson”.
Meat plant workers and unions have expressed concerns over President Trump’s executive order. Meat packers and processors are among America’s most vulnerable workers and many are reluctant to return to work due to safety concerns.
