Outbreaks of coronavirus have impacted nine industrial facilities in Vernon, including five meatpacking plants, Los Angeles County health officials said Sunday. The largest outbreak occurred at the Smithfield Foods-owned Farmer John plant — producer of the Dodger Dog — where 153 of 1,837 employees tested positive for COVID-19 between March and May. The other eight facilities with outbreaks are
CLW Foods (five confirmed cases); California Farms Meat (24 confirmed cases); Golden West Food Group (six confirmed cases); Rose & Shore (five confirmed cases); Vie De France Yamazaki (baked goods); Takaokaya USA (green tea); F. Gavina & Sons (coffee); and Overhill Farms (frozen food).
Smithfield said it took measures including a series of strict guidelines and protocols that follow or exceeding the guidance issued by the CDC and OSHA. Including boosting its supply of masks and face shields, installed Plexiglas barriers on the production floor and in break areas, and implemented mass temperature scanning systems to screen workers. Employees are offered free testing for the coronavirus and paid quarantine time, and are told not to report to work if they are sick, Smithfield said. Of the 153 Farmer John employees who tested positive, 41 have returned to work, according to LA County health officials. In California, at least 138 employees at Central Valley Meat Co. in Hanford tested positive for the virus. That company employs about 900 workers at its two plants; the other is in Vernon. @ https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-05-24/coronavirus-outbreaks-occur-at-9-industrial-facilities-in-vernon
