Tyson Fresh Meats continues to field inquiries regarding their operations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the corporation isn’t ruling out future temporary plant closures.

Operations resumed this week at the plant in Perry, after a recent pause to test team members and conduct a deep clean of the entire facility. Communications Manager Liz Croston tells Raccoon Valley Radio the health and safety of their team members is their top priority, and they take the responsibility seriously. She says the company will continue conducting regular testing, and won’t hesitate to idle any plant, including Perry, for further sanitizing. Croston says all local team members returning to work this week have been tested and cleared, and the company has implemented enhanced safety protocols to ensure their efforts meet or exceed local, state, and federal guidelines.

Current safeguards include: taking worker temperatures and installing walkthrough temperature scanners at the facility; conducting wellness checks and symptom screenings daily; supplying and requiring facial coverings; providing additional hand sanitizer stations; implementing workstation dividers, more breakroom space, outdoor tents, and staggering start times; and relaxing the attendance policy to encourage workers to stay at home when ill, as well as eliminating the waiting period for eligibility on short-term disability benefits. Croston also points out they will not reveal the specific number of affected employees at the Perry plant until it crosses the threshold of 10% of their workforce, a company policy they’ve used at other locations.