Trump To Order Meat Processors To Stay Open Amid Coronavirus

WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump on Tuesday is expected to sign an executive order declaring meat processing plants critical infrastructure. The move comes as the nation continues to battle the new coronavirus pandemic and also confronts growing disruptions to the country's food supply, according to a report by Bloomberg.

Trump plans to use the Defense Production Act to order the companies to stay open, and the government will provide additional protective gear for employees as well as guidance. He also said he plans to sign an order aimed at Tyson Foods Inc.’s liability, which had become “a road block” for the company.

The White House decided to make the move amid estimates that as much as 80 percent of the U.S. production capacity could shut down.

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The expected order comes as giant meat-processing plants are closing as workers test positive for the coronavirus, calling into question whether slaughterhouses can remain virus-free.

The list of companies dealing with infected workers has been growing every day at plants across the country, The Associated Press reports.

Among the latest was last week's closiure of Tyson Foods' huge pork-processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, after numerous workers tested positive. That follows closures of a Smithfield Foods pork plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; a JBS beef plant in Greeley, Colorado; and many others. Some, including the Tyson pork plant in Perry, Iowa, have reopened after deep cleanings.

In a statement, Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said they only wished the Trump administration "cared as much about the lives of working people as it does about meat, pork and poultry products." He also said if the federal goverment had developed safety requirements sooner, the question of whether to keep meat packing plants open wouldn't have become an issue.

"When poultry plants shut down, it's for deep cleaning and to save workers' lives," Appelbaum said. "Employers and government must do better. If they want to keep the meat and poultry supply chain healthy, they need to make sure that workers are safe and healthy."