MADISON, NE — A northeast Nebraska meatpacking plant is closed while workers wait for COVID-19 test results.

Tyson Foods announced Monday that the company’s pork plant in Madison has suspended all operations.  The plant was running at a reduced capacity on Friday and Saturday while working on testing its workforce.  A company spokesperson says Tyson is working with a third-party medical contractor to test all team members.  The plant will not reopen until test results are available.

The latest update from the Elkhorn Logan Valley Public Health Department lists 176 confirmed COVID-19 cases, 155 of those coming from Madison County.  The Health Department hasn’t released an update on on cases specific to Tyson workers since Thursday, when it reported 96 cases related to the plant.

Tyson says staff is performing a deep clean and sanitization of the facility while it is closed. The company says it is working with the Nebraska National Guard, state and county health officials to make sure the plant meets guidelines.

A Tyson beef plant in Dakota City, NE, closed on Friday to undergo a deep cleaning. It is scheduled to reopen on Tuesday.  Dakota County reports nearly 1000 COVID-19 cases but it is unclear how many are associated with the plant.

The Madison pork plant covers 435,000 square feet and employs about 1,200 people.  10.6 million pounds of pork are produced at the plant every week.

A Tyson spokesperson outlined the company's safeguards in an email:

  • We are currently taking employee temperatures and will be installing an inferred camera to detect high temperatures
  • Conducting wellness checks and screening workers for symptoms, such as coughing and shortness of breath
  • Supplying facial coverings to every team member and requiring they are utilized.
  • Providing additional hand sanitizer stations.
  • Implementing social distancing measures, such as installing workstation dividers, providing more breakroom space, erecting outdoor tents for additional space for breaks where possible, and staggering start times to avoid large gatherings as team members enter the facility.
  • Designating monitors at each facility to help enforce social distancing.
  • Relaxing our attendance policy to encourage workers to stay at home when they're sick and eliminating the waiting period for eligibility on short-term disability benefits so workers can receive pay while they're sick with the flu or COVID-19.
  • Education is an important part of our efforts and we’re doing our best to ensure our team members understand risk factors so that they can stay safe at work and at home.