Walz: JBS Plant To Be Example for Need of Wide-Spread Testing

WORTHINGTON -- Governor Tim Walz says the JBS Processing Plant in Worthington remains open following an outbreak of COVID-19.

He says quick response is what made the plant's outcome different from what happened at Virginia-based Smithfield Foods in South Dakota.

The Smithfield plant went from nothing to shut down overnight, there was not communication with the health department, the way we understand it. That is not the case here. We put a team down there to work with the plant and local officials to ensure safe conditions across the community.

Walz says the plant has about 2,000 workers and many employees work at both plants, which resulted in cross-contamination of the virus.

He continues to stress the importance of widespread testing and says the JBS Plant could act as an example for it.

Walz says they are reaching out to other processing plants.