Iowa COVID-19 Spike Linked to Meat Processing Plants

April 21, 2020
April 19 saw Iowa's highest number of single-day spike, at 389 cases, with 67% of those attributed to two meat processing plants in the state.

Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds is refusing to issue an executive order to shut down meat processing plants despite the largest single-day spike taking place on April 19. Of the state's 389 cases on Sunday, 67% of those were attributed to two meat processing plants in the state. 

According to local news reports, state officials are citing scaled-up surveillance testing at the processing facilities as the reason for the increase in cases. According to Gov. Reynolds' office 500 Tyson employees and 500 National Beef workers have been tested. Of those tested, 84 Tyson employees tested positive while 177 National Beef workers tested positive for coronavirus.

Tama-based Iowa Premium Plant, which is owned by National Beef, had been closed since April 10 after confirmed cases of coronavirus had been identified. Despite having 177 more confirmed cases, the plant resumed production on April 20. Meanwhile, Iowa officials are asking Tyson Foods to shut down its Waterloo plant despite there being more than 100 COVID-19 cases there.  

Sponsored Recommendations

Refrigerated transport services you can count on

Ensure product quality from origin to final destination with refrigerated shipping solutions from Schneider.

4 shipping challenges that a dedicated carrier can solve

Navigating the logistics industry is challenging. Find out how a dedicated transportation solution can solve some of the most common shipping challenges.

Dedicated lightweight solution maximizes bottled water payload

A leading bottled water company needed a carrier to transport water from 29 plants to retailers. The challenge? Handling over 46,000 pounds. Read the study.

Recipe for successful growth: Schneider’s dedicated fleet services helps bakery rise

Learn how a large bakery company complimented their private fleet with Schneider Dedicated freight services to increase freight capacity, amplify visibility & reduce costs.