SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — A first version of a CDC report with safety recommendations for workers at the Smithfield Foods plant in Sioux Falls, where a major COVID-19 outbreak occurred, was approved for release in April but was pulled back and re-issued the next day with new language that some members of Congress say “watered down” the urgency and importance of the recommended safety measures.
The first report was dated April 21, 2020, and included 15 pages of recommendations for improved safety. The second report, issued the next day, included many of the same recommendations but with added language stating that safety improvements were “discretionary and not required” to be implemented by Smithfield.
The second report also contains numerous references to safety measures that should be implemented only “if feasible” or “if possible,” including whether sick employees should stay home, whether dirty or wet masks should be replaced and whether protective barriers should be used to keep workers safe.
Inquiries are underway in Congress to discover who softened the report language and why.
In the latest article published by South Dakota News Watch, available here, reporter Bart Pfankuch examines the differences between the two CDC reports and provides context on when and why text changes may have been made.
Sioux Falls Smithfield plant sign from SDNW
