There are 138 more cases of COVID-19 in South Dakota for a total of 868.
Fifty-seven of the new cases are linked to an outbreak at a packing plant in Sioux Falls.
Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer talked to a union leader in Sioux Falls about the issue and the impact on facilities in the state of Iowa.
Almost 300 people who work at the Smithfield Foods Plant in Sioux Falls tested positive for COVID-19.
B.J. Motley is the president of the local union of the United Food and Commercial Workers for the Sioux Falls facility.
“We hope all of the managers have stuff in play to help protect all of the workers in the plants.”
Motley says there is also concern, minorities are put at higher risk for the coronavirus.
“I would say our plant, 95% are immigrants and people from different nationalities. And, that does play a role.”
Motley, who started working at the facility more than 30 years ago, says the food supply still needs to keep going, but he does want to see even more precautions.
“I would like to see the plant test everybody. Every member, every worker in the worker in the plant and that will limit the exposure.”
Last week, Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds announced plans to push for rapid-testing machines for packing plants in Iowa.
A beef plant in Tama will stay closed until April 20th. It’s at least the second meat processor to suspend operations; another location in southwest Iowa is operated by Tyson Foods. Hogs from that facility were sent to Storm Lake and other locations.
Smithfield planned to continue paying its 3,700 employees during the closure that Motley says is currently scheduled for two weeks.
(Additional information for the story provided by The Associated Press.)