SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — The Centers for Disease Control issued its report on the Smithfield Foods packing plant in Sioux Falls this morning.
The fifteen-page report notes what steps Smithfield took to attempt to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and its steps to retrofit the facility.
Among a number of suggestions, the CDC did say that there should be more physical distancing between workers, more visual cues about social distancing, better communications with the workers in their languages, and better signage.
The CDC did say, however, that they were not able to get a good demographic breakdown of the workforce at Smithfield.
Gov. Kristi Noem’s office issued the following statement:
“I want to thank Vice President Pence, Secretary of Agriculture Perdue, and the CDC for prioritizing the situation at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls,” said Noem. “Their partnership has been critical to the work that we’ve done to get this cluster under control and safeguard the health of this workforce. My team at the Department of Health will continue to work with Smithfield and offer any assistance we can to help them implement these CDC recommendations, so they can safely reopen this plant as soon as possible.”
The CDC’s full report can be found here.
