President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that requires meat processing plants around the country to remain open, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic that has reached many of them.

The decision has been met with strong opinions on both sides of the argument, with Tyson Fresh Meats and the Iowa Pork Producers Association supporting it. Tyson spokesperson Liz Croston tells Raccoon Valley Radio that the company appreciates the administration’s efforts to help the food supply chain, and says they have measures in place to ensure the safety of employees. Similarly, IPPA President Mike Paustian said in a statement, “Iowa’s pig farmers appreciate the President taking this first important step to provide uniform and consistent solutions and all available resources to address the unprecedented crisis we’re facing.”

Opponents argue that in Iowa the peak of the pandemic is just arriving and meat packing plants have been hotbeds for the community spread. In Columbus Junction, two Tyson employees died from COVID-19 and the plant closed for an extended period. The virus has been confirmed at the Perry and Waterloo Tyson plants, though the company won’t say how many workers have been infected. Each plant is currently open with the employees going through daily health screenings. There have been requests from the public that they temporarily close, including from Perry Mayor John Andorf and the League of United Latin American Citizens.

There have been over 200 positive coronavirus tests each in Dallas and Louisa counties, as well as over 1,000 in Black Hawk County, though it’s unclear exactly how many of those cases came from the local meat packing plants.