Coronavirus In Wisconsin: Green Bay Beef Plant Closing Over Virus Infections
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) -- A beef production plant in Green Bay has become the latest to shut down due to coronavirus infections among employees.
JBS USA announced Sunday that the JBS Packerland plant would be closed temporarily. The Green Bay Press Gazette reported that at least 189 COVID-19 infections had been linked to JBS Packerland as of Friday.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Brown County overall grew to 776 on Sunday, the state Department of Health Services said.
The JBS Packerland plant employs more than 1,200 people and feeds nearly 3.2 million people per day, the company said. Employees will be paid during the closure.
JBS earlier closed plants in Souderton, Pennsylvania; Greeley, Colorado; and Worthington, Minnesota. The first two plants have since reopened.
JBS and other meat processors say they've taken a variety of steps to reduce the chances of workers spreading the virus to each other, including adding plastic barriers between workers, stressing social distancing and providing personal protective gear.
(© Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
