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NEW: Public health officials are visiting the Cargill meatpacking plant in Fort Morgan today. Teamsters Local 455 head Steve Vairma says one employee is believed to have died from COVID-19 and seven employees have tested positive. The plant employs 2,100. #9NEWS #covid19colorado
Cargill says it has taken appropriate safety procedures to continue operating: temperature checks for workers, barriers between work stations, masks, and staggered break schedules.
Cargill will need to convince public health experts that it can continue operations safely. The JBS meatpacking plant in Greeley is closed indefinitely after failing to convince health officials it was safe.
I just wrapped up an interview for #HeyNext tonight with Jon Nash, the head of Cargill's North American Protein operation (beef, chicken, meat). He oversees almost 50 plants nationwide. Nash told me they're "absolutely" willing to learn from what happened in Greeley with JBS.
"We're certainly willing to learn from anything that's happened elsewhere to make sure that we're doing the most we possibly can for our people," Nash said. "If we cannot run that facility safely and with the food safety controls we need in place we will not run it."
Cargill has instituted bonus and incentive pay through May 3. I asked Nash if that was encouraging workers to come to the plant when they're sick. Nash says employees have been told to stay home if sick and that sick days won't jeopardize their incentive pay.
We also talked more broadly about the state of the American food supply, given his role overseeing dozens of plants nationwide. We'll have more of that tonight on #HeyNext and the entire, unedited interview will be on the Next YouTube channel later today.
