Tyson to shutter beef facility as workers undergo coronavirus testing

(Reuters) – A Tyson Foods Inc unit said on Thursday it will temporarily halt production at a beef facility in Pasco, Washington, adding to the meat processing plant the company has had to shutter as it tests workers for COVID-19.

Tyson said on Wednesday it was closing two pork processing plants, including its largest in the United States, further tightening meat supplies following other major slaughterhouse shutdowns.

The unit, Tyson Fresh Meats, said it was working with local health officials to test more than 1,400 workers at the Pasco plant, which produces enough beef in one day to feed four million people.

The closures are adding to stress on farmers as lockdowns prevent them from getting their produce to consumers.

Tyson said workers at the Pasco plant have been asked to self-isolate at home until test results return and they will continue to be compensated while the facility is closed.

(Reporting by Uday Sampath in Bengaluru; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta)