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April 21, 2020

Smithfield Foods Blames Immigrant Workforce for Coronavirus Outbreak
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Smithfield Foods, which recently had to shut down a pork production
plant after more than 350 workers tested positive for COVID-19, is
blaming immigrant workers for the coronavirus outbreak. A spokesperson
said "living circumstances in certain cultures" enabled the rapid spread
of the disease. Employees and investigations into the outbreak, however,
show Smithfield made a number of missteps in managing early signs of the
outbreak, including concealing infections and compelling employees to
work without protection. The South Dakota Smithfield plant that was
closed now has well over 700 COVID-positive people, and those related to
them, in the area, a major hot spot in the United States.


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