JBS Reopens Green Bay Plant for Limited Operation
JBS Packerland in Green Bay, Wisc., reopened its packing plant with limited staff on Tuesday after it closed due to a coronavirus outbreak, according to the Green Bay Press Gazette. A JBS spokesman told the paper that the company would reopen harvesting on Tuesday and reopen fabricating operations, which will involve meat processing on Wednesday.
Cameron Bruett, JBS spokesman, said that all employees will be tested before returning to work.
"We expect operations to normalize over time as absenteeism rates decline in response to the preventive measures in place at the facility and as team members clear any necessary quarantine protocols," Bruett told the Gazette.
JBS closed the plant after nearly 300 cases of COVID-19 were reported. The total number of employees sickened is unknown, the Gazette reports. Brown County health officials have stopped providing case numbers specific to facilities, and the company declined to disclose that information.
"We are not providing updated numbers, but all team members are being tested and communicated with directly to ensure appropriate measures are taken to combat any potential spread in the community," he told the Gazette.
The company says it has taken precautions to prevent virus spread including:
- Increased sanitation
- Staggering breaks and lunch periods, and
- Requiring sick employees stay home from work.
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