Tyson Foods to increase virus testing at US plants

Tyson Foods says it plans to administer thousands of coronavirus tests per week at its U.S. facilities under an expanded effort to protect workers and keep plants running.

The Arkansas-based company, which processes about 20% of all beef, pork and chicken in the U.S., will randomly test employees who have no symptoms, as well as those with symptoms. Workers will also be tested if they were near someone who tested positive or displayed symptoms.

The tests are on top of daily health screenings when workers arrive at Tyson’s 140 U.S. production facilities, the company said Thursday.

Tyson said it will add nearly 200 nurses to its 400-person medical team to conduct the tests, and is hiring a chief medical officer.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 24,000 of Tyson’s 120,000 U.S. workers, said other meat processing companies should follow Tyson.

Meatpacking plants have been susceptible to the virus because workers often stand shoulder to shoulder.

In the U.S., at least 16,210 meatpacking workers have been infected or exposed to the virus and 93 have died, the United Food and Commercial Workers said.

In April, Tyson purchased 150 thermal temperature scanners to check workers when they arrive. It distributed masks and face shields and put up dividers between workers. It has tested around one-third of its workers. The company believes less than 1% of its workers have active cases of COVID-19.

Scott Brooks, a senior vice president leading Tyson’s coronavirus response, noted that testing all the workers in a plant once only gives a snapshot of that particular moment. Constant, random testing will give the company a clearer picture.

“It feels good that we’re really going to be able to get ahead of this issue,” he said.