The City of Monmouth and the Warren County Health Department say they’ve been working with Smithfield Foods plant in Monmouth and have found measures being taken to ensure worker safety “very comprehensive.”The two entities released a joint press conference Wednesday listing a myriad of steps the meat processor has undertaken. They say Smithfield is voluntarily testing all plant employees, all workers are wearing face masks and shields during shifts, and symptom screening is performed before employees enter the facility. Plexiglass barriers have been installed in areas where workers can’t social distance, and sanitizing is done after every work shift. There’s even a work crew that’s been assigned to sanitize employee hands every 15 minutes. This comes as outbreaks are being reported at meat processing plants around the country, and even Monmouth’s plant closed for several days when several employees tested positive. The City and County Health Department say Smithfield presents unique challenges in the fight against COVID-19. Not only because the conditions of meat processing work make transmission more likely, but because employees at the Monmouth facility reside in a 6-county area, that include a metro area and some cross state lines.
