JBS closes Greeley plant after dozens test positive for COVID-19, 2 die
GREELEY — After two employees at JBS USA’s beef packing plant in Greeley died from COVID-19 and several dozen others tested positive for the disease, the firm is temporarily closing it’s Weld County operation, which has seen hundreds of employees call out sick in recent weeks.
Saul Sanchez and Eduardo Conchas de la Cruz were the JBS employees killed by the coronavirus, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7 union.
“At present, we are aware of at least 42 JBS employees and Union members, as well as eight employees who are not represented, who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus — five of them are hospitalized at present,” union president Kim C. Cordova wrote in a Friday letter to Gov. Jared Polis. The letter pleaded with state and JBS officials to close the plant. “We have been providing this information to JBS on a regular basis. Local 7 believes there may be significantly more individuals at the plant who are carrying the virus but may either be asymptomatic, not tested, or afraid to come forward as they are not eligible for sick pay.
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According to a Monday news release from JBS, the firm intends to pay workers during the plant closure, which is expected to last until April 24.
JBS’ closure comes after the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment issued an order Saturday requiring the plant to close until April 15 for sanitization.
“While the Greeley beef facility is critical to the U.S. food supply and local producers, the continued spread of coronavirus in Weld County requires decisive action,” JBS USA CEO Andre Nogueira said in a prepared statement. “As a leading member of this community, we believe we must do our part to support our local health professionals and first responders leading the fight against coronavirus.”
During a Monday press conference, Polis said he “spoke with Vice President [Mike Pence] three times over the weekend with the goal of a minimum disruption to the national food supply and how we can bring online our critical food facilities as quickly as possible.”
As is the case with workers throughout the nation, “the better job [JBS’ Greeley employees] do at staying home and isolating, the sooner we can get the entire economy going,” he said.
The keys to getting the JBS beef plant back up and running are “mass testing, containment … and providing protective equipment and masks.”
