Tyson Fresh Meats Testing Pasco, Wash., Team Members For COVID-19; Temporarily Pausing Production
April 23 2020 - 1:31PM
Tyson Fresh Meats, Inc., the beef and pork subsidiary of Tyson
Foods, Inc. (NYSE: TSN), will temporarily halt production at its
Pasco, Wash., beef facility while team members undergo testing.
Health officials in Walla Walla, Benton, and Franklin Counties will
work with the company to test its more than 1,400 team members for
COVID-19 as soon as possible.
The facility produces enough beef in one day to feed four
million people. While the plant is temporarily closed for testing,
team members will continue to be compensated and asked to
self-isolate at home until results return.
“We’ve taken both of our responsibilities to continue feeding
the nation and keeping our team members safe and healthy
seriously,” said Steve Stouffer, group president of Tyson Fresh
Meats. “That’s why we’ve been focused on COVID-19 since January
when we first formed a company coronavirus task force. We’ve since
implemented numerous measures to protect workers and, at times,
have gone beyond CDC guidance.
“We’ve also worked with the local health department on more
mitigation efforts and have accommodated all its recommendations
for protective measures, which exceeded CDC guidelines. Despite
these efforts, the combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 case
and community concerns has resulted in a collective decision to
close and test all team members.”
Resuming operations is dependent on a variety of factors,
including the outcome of team member testing for COVID-19 and how
long it takes to get results back. Tyson and local health officials
are working on a plan to resume production, while keeping team
members safe by further educating workers on CDC guidance to
prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The local health department visited the beef facility last week
to observe the protective measures implemented, including social
distancing measures such as workstation dividers and more breakroom
space. Tyson Foods was one of the first food companies to start
taking worker temperatures and is in the process of installing more
than 150 infrared temperature scanners in its facilities. The
company started efforts to secure a supply of face coverings before
the CDC recommended them and now requires their use in all
facilities.
“We’re working with local health officials to bring the plant
back to full operation as soon as we believe it to be safe,”
Stouffer said. “Unfortunately, the closure will mean reduced food
supplies and presents problems to farmers who have no place to take
their livestock. It’s a complicated situation across the supply
chain.”
Tyson Foods announced recently its plans to indefinitely suspend
operations at Tyson Fresh Meats’ Waterloo, Iowa, pork plant this
week. Tyson Fresh Meats will also voluntarily close its pork
facility in Logansport, Ind., while team members undergo testing.
The company’s other meat and poultry plants currently continue to
operate, but some are running at reduced levels of production
either due to the planned implementation of additional worker
safety precautions or worker absenteeism.
About Tyson FoodsTyson Foods, Inc. is one of
the world’s largest food companies and a recognized leader in
protein. Founded in 1935 by John W. Tyson and grown under three
generations of family leadership, the company has a broad portfolio
of products and brands like Tyson®, Jimmy Dean®, Hillshire
Farm®, Ball Park®, Wright®, Aidells®, ibp® and State
Fair®. Tyson Foods innovates continually to make protein more
sustainable, tailor food for everywhere it’s available and raise
the world’s expectations for how much good food can do.
Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, the company has 141,000 team
members. Through its Core Values, Tyson Foods strives to operate
with integrity, create value for its shareholders, customers,
communities and team members and serve as a steward of the animals,
land and environment entrusted to it.
Visit TYSONFOODS.COM.
Media Contact: HLI YANG, 479-290-2122,
Hli.Yang@tyson.com
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