How did the biggest cluster in the US emerge in a corner of South Dakota? Infections spread like wildfire through a pork factory and questions remain about what the company did to protect staff.
On the afternoon of 25 March, Julia sat down at her laptop and logged into a phony Facebook account. She'd opened it in middle school, to surreptitiously monitor boys she had crushes on. But now, many years later, it was about to serve a much more serious purpose.
"Can you please look into Smithfield," she typed in a message to an account called Argus911, the Facebook-based tip line for the local newspaper, the Argus Leader. "They do have a positive [Covid-19] case and are planning to stay open." By "Smithfield", she was referring to the Smithfield Foods pork-processing plant located in her town of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The factory - a massive, eight-story white box perched on the banks of the Big Sioux River - is the ninth-largest hog-processing facility in the US. When running at full capacity, it processes 19,500 freshly-slaughtered hogs per day, slicing, grinding and smoking them into millions of pounds of bacon, hot dogs and spiral-cut hams. With 3,700 workers, it is also the fourth-largest employer in the city.
"Thank you for the tip," the Argus911 account responded. "What job did the worker who tested positive have?"
"We are not exactly sure," Julia wrote back.
"OK, thanks," Argus911 replied. "We'll be in touch."
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Wow. Just, wow.
ReplyDeleteThis is a long read but a real eye opener.
talk about scary
So much for working for a Chinese owned company!
ReplyDeleteAOC said that the Pigs need to be protected from these infected workers. She is glad they closed.
ReplyDeleteAre the processing plants owned by the CHINESE??!!
ReplyDeleteSmithfield is a Chinese owned company. This is another area that needs to be returned to the US. No more foreign owned US companies or they get no tax breaks / incentives from the US tax payer.
ReplyDelete3:20
ReplyDeleteI don’t think they care what you or I believe is fair. Our beliefs about fairness, truth, God, and family have been attacked by the communist political element. The entire social fabric of America has been torn.
I no longer identify with the US Government. It treats me as its subject. I fear it.
tell me HOW food grown in US, should EVER be shipped to another country for processing with NO regulations, then sent back to us to consume?
ReplyDeleteGREEDY companies and CEO's getting millions every year bonuses. This is BS
How in the world does a prominent meat company get bought and now owned by the Chinese???
ReplyDeleteyou see how the chicomms treat their own people. Why would you expect them to treat you any differently?
ReplyDeleteDemocrats have Plenty of PORK !!!!
ReplyDelete