(Seth Tackett, WTIU/WFIU News)
The Tyson Foods meatpacking plant in Logansport is resuming limited operations Thursday.
Two weeks ago, Tyson temporarily closed the plant after employees there tested positive for COVID-19.
Officials at the only hospital in the county — Logansport Memorial — say over 1,000 of Cass County’s 1,469 COVID-19 cases can be traced to the local plant.
READ MORE: 1,000+ Tyson Infections And One Hospital: Cass Co. Braces For Even More COVID Cases
According to spokesperson Hli Yang, Tyson has put in place “enhanced safety precautions,” including:
- A mobile health clinic to provide testing and daily screenings.
- Providing every employee with protective facial coverings and requiring their use.
- Using infrared thermometers to check employees’ temperatures as they come to work.
- Wellness checks to screen employees for COVID-19 symptoms.
- Using “social distance monitors” to ensure employees adhere to safety protocols and social distancing requirements.
“Team members who have not been tested will be unable to return to work until tested, and all new hires will be tested prior to starting work,” Yang wrote in an email.
“All employees who have tested positive will remain on sick leave until they have satisfied official health requirements outlined by the CDC for return to work, and we have increased short-term disability coverage to 90% of normal pay until June 30 to encourage team members to stay home when they are sick.”
Before the temporary shutdown, the Logansport plant produced over 3 million pounds of pork daily.
Tyson Foods denied requests for an interview.
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