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Sioux Falls Smithfield plant to close temporarily following COVID cases
The Smithfield Foods hog processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota is closing temporarily after more than 80 employees tested positive for coronavirus. Governor Kristi Noem’s office says state officials have been in close communications with Smithfield President and CEO Ken Sullivan in the last 24 hours. Governor Noem’s policy director Maggie Seidel says Smithfield will expand cleaning and sanitation during the closure. The plant is adding new physical barriers to promote further social distancing and is providing paid time off for employees with a COVID diagnosis or quarantine.
The Sioux Falls Smithfield plant supplies nearly 130 million servings of food per week, or about 18 million servings per day, according to Sullivan.
Seidel says that in the coming weeks, the South Dakota Department of Health will work with Smithfield management to help ensure all CDC guidelines are followed both inside and outside the workplace.
