A bird processing plant in central California will close for about a week from Tuesday for a thorough cleaning and to verify that workers do not have COVID-19 after at least 8 workers died from the virus.
The Foster Farms Livingston poultry complex in Merced County declared a home last June, and county fitness officials worked with the company to put in place protective measures before closure was ordered.
In addition to the 8 workers who died, 392 tested positive for COVID-19.
“We agree that the most productive technique to ensure the long-term protection of our workers at the Livingston plant is to start from scratch,” said one company.The plant will close on Tuesday, September 1 and reopen in September.7.
“During this downtime, the company will conduct two deep cleaning cycles and two COVID-19 verification cycles covering the plant’s 1,400 employees,” the company said.
First, the plant was ordered to close last week, but after talks with the US Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture was ordered to close.Hus And county fitness officials, the closure was postponed until September 1, according to local media.
“The MCDPH has given Foster Farms more time before the final due to the extensive coordination efforts required to prepare the facility for proper disinfection and disposal of poultry,” the county said in a press release.
The Merced County Health Department said all painters will have to go through a negative control twice within seven days to repaint at the plant.
In addition, the Department of Health says Foster Farms will need to make adjustments to workers’ social distance at work, expand rest areas, worker-appropriate non-public protective equipment, and “other hygiene measures.”
“We also agree with the Merced Department of Public Health that there are opportunities to distance themselves socially, up a corps of pro-fitness workers who will oversee COVID-19 systems, and COVID-19-like interworker communication,” Foster Farms said.
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