Nearly 900 workers at Tyson meat plant in Indiana test positive for coronavirus

Nearly 900 workers at a Tyson Food plant in Indiana have reportedly tested positive for COVID-19. 

The coronavirus infected 890 of the 2,200 people at the plant located in Logansport, Ind., local station WISH TV reported Wednesday. 

The updated number is more than 700 additional confirmed cases at the plant than the Cass County Health Department reported last week, according to the Indianapolis Star. 

Tyson announced last week that the company would voluntarily close its facility and work with county officials on a plan to reopen. 

Cass County Commissioner Ryan Browning said he’s working with Tyson and the health department to develop a workable reopening plan, according to WISH.  

On Tuesday President Trump signed an executive order using the Defense Production Act (DPA) to order meat processing plants to stay open and designate them as critical infrastructure.

“So there is some worry there that might force them to flip a switch and go, but we are continuing with our plan,” Browning reportedly said. 

The Hill reached out to Browning regarding the number of cases confirmed at the Tyson plant. 

Serenity Alter, the Cass County Health Department administrator, said she expects the number of positive cases to continue to increase. 

“We were in good shape for a couple weeks and then just within the couple weeks it kind of blew up,” Alter said, according to WISH. 

In a statement to the news station, Tyson said it has implemented additional cleaning and protective measures. 

“We’ve been screening worker temperatures, requiring protective face coverings and conducting additional cleaning and sanitizing,” Tyson said in the statement. “We’ve also implemented social distancing measures, such as workstation dividers and more breakroom space.”

The Cass County Health Department reported 1,283 cases in the county as of Tuesday. 

Indiana reported 17,853 confirmed COVID-19 cases statewide as of Wednesday.