Tyson Foods will temporarily close its poultry plant in Robards, Kentucky, in order to undergo additional cleaning and sanitation efforts after employees at the plant tested positive for COVID-19.
In an email to WATT Global Media, Tyson Foods spokesperson Morgan Watchous said the facility will be idled from April 30 through May 3.
“As a food production company, we follow Good Manufacturing Practices including those relating to sanitation and disinfection of our facilities. While we’ve intensified cleaning and sanitation already, we’re committed to do all we can to keep team members safe including suspending a day of production for additional cleaning,” Watchous wrote.
According to a report from 14 News, there have been 74 confirmed cases of COVID-19 related to the Tyson Foods facility in Robards.
The diversified protein company has made the decision to idle multiple plants in recent weeks as it deals with the pandemic and its impact on workers. Among those plants to have operations suspended include a beef plant in Pasco, Washington and pork plants in Logansport, Indiana; Waterloo, Iowa; and Columbus Junction, Iowa.
Tyson Foods has implemented numerous protocols to keep workers safe, requiring workers to wear masks, daily deep cleaning and sanitation of facilities and the installation of infrared scanners that detect fevers.
Tyson’s plant in Robards underwent an expansion in 2017, which included new freezer equipment and the addition of two production lines, as well as processes and technology designed to benefit food safety, quality and workplace safety. That same facility was honored through the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s 2019 Clean Water Awards program, receiving an honorable mention with distinction award in the pretreatment category.
Tyson Foods, according to the WATTAgNet Top Poultry Companies Database, is the largest broiler producer in the United States and the country’s fifth largest turkey company.
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