ON MONDAY THE MAYORS OF THE TRI-STATE METRO AREA CALLED ON LOCAL BUSINESSES TO INCREASE TRANSPARENCY IN REPORTING COVID-19 CASE INFORMATION TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT LETTER STEMMED FROM A BELIEF THAT MOST OF THE POSITIVE CASES OF COVID-19 IN WOODBURY AND DAKOTA COUNTIES HAVE ORIGINATED AT LOCAL MEAT PROCESSING PLANTS, INCLUDING THE DAKOTA CITY TYSON PLANT.
COMPANY OFFICIALS THERE HAVE DECLINED TO PROVIDE HARD NUMBERS ON HOW MANY EMPLOYEES HAVE TESTED POSITIVE, EVEN THOUGH MOST AREA MEAT PLANT FIGURES HAVE PROVIDED THROUGH COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS.
NEBRASKA GOVERNOR PETE RICKETTS TELLS KSCJ NEWS THAT THE STATE IS NOT REQUIRING TYSON TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION:
OC………GENERAL POLICY. :13
RICKETTS SAYS HE AND STAFF MEMBERS HAVE BEEN IN FREQUENT CONTACT WITH THE PLANT, WHICH EMPLOYS AROUND 4000 PEOPLE LOCALLY:
OC…….EATING IN PHONE BOOTHS. ;18
THE GOVERNOR SAYS ONE OBSTACLE IS THE LANGUAGE BARRIER, BECAUSE A GREAT NUMBER OF THE EMPLOYEES THERE DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH, AND THERE ARE CULTURAL BARRIERS FOR SOME:
OC………DISTANCING WORK. :20
RICKETTS SAYS TYSON HAS BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH AND THAT THE STATE IS PROVIDING MORE TESTING RESOURCES FOR DAKOTA COUNTY.
