Trump May Order Virus-Stricken Meat Plants to Stay Open

As the COVID-19 pandemic causes widespread closures of meat processing plants, US President Donald J. Trump is reportedly planning order to meat processing plants to remain in operation during the crisis under the Defense Production Act, according to a Bloomberg report Tuesday. 

A source close to the White House told the news organization that an executive order will be signed to keep pork, beef, chicken, pork, eggs plants running. In addition, the federal government intends to provide guidance and protective equipment for workers. 

President Trump’s administration is considering issuing the order to prevent shortages of meat, the source said in Bloomberg’s coverage.

The news comes after large swaths of meat processing plant workers have become infected with the novel coronavirus. This week, the chairman of Tyson Foods published a full-page letter in The New York Timeswarning Americans that the country’s “food supply chain is breaking.” 

Tyson was recently forced to “indefinitely” close a pork processing plant after over 100 COVID-19 cases were connected to the facility. 22 meat facilities have closed over the last two months, Bloomberg reported, causing the US pork processing capacity to drop by a quarter and beef processing capacity to dip by 10%. One estimate suggests that 80% of the nation’s meat processing capacity could be impacted by closures. 

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