PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — Gov. Kristi Noem’s office issued the following statement this afternoon about the temporary shutdown of the Smithfield Foods meat packing plant in Sioux Falls.
On the Smithfield Sioux Falls plant closing, Senior Policy Advisory Maggie Seidel provided this written statement to the South Dakota Broadcasters Association Sunday afternoon:
“Per the Governor’s letter, the facts, science, and data support a 14-day closure at this time to slow down the spread of the virus within this community. Obviously, the situation is dynamic and changing by the day. The industry (like the country) needs to fight its way through this situation – and it will – and make adjustments as it changes. As a critical infrastructure industry in our nation’s food supply, the Governor is committed to working with them to get through this.”
Seidel deferred questions about the closing to Smithfield.
Seidel also confirmed to SDBA that the first Governor Noem heard of the Smithfield plant closure was in news reports Sunday morning.
(Patrick Callahan, SDBA, contributed this report.)
