Tyson Foods plans to protect its workers from the spread of COVID-19 by opening medical clinics at several of its U.S. facilities.
The Arkansas based company, which produces 20 percent of all beef pork and Chicken in the U.S., said that plans were in place prior to the pandemic to add on-site clinics, according the Associated Press.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classify meat packing workers as essential, but warned after confirmed cases that companies should develop plans to mitigate the spread. (Related: Gov. Cuomo Tells Unemployed Americans To ‘Go Take A Job As An Essential Worker’)
“CDC’s Critical Infrastructure Guidance advises that critical infrastructure workers may be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic, have not had a positive test result for COVID-19, and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community.”
Here’s the latest on what we’re doing to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by keeping our team members and the communities where we operate safe. Learn more: https://t.co/At2DFkKZKF pic.twitter.com/YWNZJKgaor
— Tyson Foods (@TysonFoods) June 22, 2020
At least 17,700 meatpacking workers in the U.S. have been infected or exposed to the coronavirus and 115 have died, the United Food and Commercial Workers said.
There have been 6,047,692 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 184,083 deaths as of Sept. 2, according to the CDC.