By Sheila Hagar
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
Benton Franklin Health District officials said nine people in Walla Walla County and about 30 people in Benton and Franklin counties tested positive for COVID-19 because of direct or indirect exposure to the coronavirus while working at Tyson Fresh Meats on Dodd Road in Wallula, according to the Tri-City Herald.
Walla Walla Department of Community Health Director Meghan DeBolt said this afternoon she was on her way to the Wallula plant but didn’t provide further details.
DeBolt said last week that of the nine single-workplace-related cases in this county at that time, six people lived in the Burbank and Wallula area, and three lived in Walla Walla.
They are recovering at home, and none were admitted to the hospital, DeBolt said.
Currently Walla Walla County has 21 residents with confirmed cases; the most recent positive test result was from a College Place resident, according to officials.
According to the Tri-City Herald story, Tyson Fresh Meats employs about 1,400 people at the beef-slaughtering and processing plant.
Tyson and other meat-producing plants have had similar breakouts of the coronavirus elsewhere. National media reports say Tyson Foods has also closed plants in Pennsylvania and Iowa, and an outbreak is being investigated at a Tyson plant in Tennessee.
The company, headquartered in Arkansas, told the Union-Bulletin it is working to protect team members while trying to continue operations.
“We’ve been checking worker temperatures, providing face coverings and initiating additional cleaning,” said Tyson spokesman Gary Mickelson.
“We’ve implemented social-distancing measures, such as installing workstation dividers and providing more break-room space. We relaxed our attendance policy in March to encourage workers to stay at home when they’re sick. We’ve also been educating team members on COVID-19, including the importance of following CDC guidelines away from work.”
Tyson officials said they are coordinating with federal agencies to push for personal protective equipment for employees.
The company announced plans to give up to $60 million in bonuses to 116,000 front-line team members and Tyson truckers in the United States as they work to keep grocery stores stocked with meat during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to multiple media reports.
The company said in March that workers can qualify for a $500 bonus to be paid during the first week of July, based on what it called a “relaxed” COVID-19 attendance policy from April through June.
“Our meat and poultry plants are experiencing varying levels of production impact, due to the planned implementation of additional worker safety precautions and worker absenteeism,” said Tyson Chief Executive Noel White in a statement.
