More than 180 infections had been linked to the plant earlier this week and officials expect that number to dramatically rise.
The announcement comes as employers have struggled to contain the virus in large meatpacking plants, where workers toil side by side on production lines and often share crowded locker rooms, cafeterias and rides to work.
“Despite our continued efforts to keep our people safe while fulfilling our critical role of feeding American families, the combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 cases and community concerns has resulted in our decision to stop production,” Tyson Fresh Meats president Steve Stouffer said in a statement.He warned that the closure would have “significant ramifications beyond our company” since it's part of a supply chain that includes farmers, truckers, distributors and grocers.
The suspension came one day after the Black Hawk County Board of Health called on the company or Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds to temporarily close the plant. The board warned that its continued operation would exacerbate the spread of the virus through the county, where confirmed cases and hospitalizations have skyrocketed in recent days.
The plant employs many blacks, Latinos and refugees, populations that comprise a hugely disproportionate share of Iowa's coronavirus cases.
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