Days after California health officials ordered a chicken farm to close its cages during a deadly coronavirus break, owners finally announced that they would follow the directive.
Foster Farms said Saturday that its Livingston Poultry Complex will be temporarily shut down for six days, beginning Tuesday, to allow for deep cleaning and employee testing.
Before returning to work, all employees will have to test negative twice within a seven-day period.
“COVID-19 is not the product of a company any more than it is the fault of a people, or a community. It is a scourge that companies like Foster Farms and communities like Merced County can work together to defeat. Foster Farms joins our nation in looking forward to a time when we are rid of COVID-19,” Foster Farms said in a statement.
“We look forward to building an ongoing relationship with the Merced Public Health Department to help ensure the health and betterment of the greater community where we live and work.”
Across a two-month outbreak, at least 358 employees have tested positive for coronavirus and eight have died so far, according to health officials. About 2,600 people are employed at the Livingston Poultry Complex.
Merced County health officials said Thursday that they had offered help in controlling the outbreak, but that Foster Farms ignored suggestions for additional testing and spreading out workspaces to encourage social distancing.
“If we’re going to keep food on our tables during this pandemic, we must do a better job of protecting the essential workers who are putting it there. That means standing up for the people in our poultry facilities, agricultural fields, meat processing plants, restaurants, grocery stores, and more,” California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said in a statement Thursday.
“Foster Farms’ poultry operation in Livingston, California has experienced an alarming spread of COVID-19 among its workers. Nobody can ignore the facts: It’s time to hit the reset button on Foster Farms’ Livingston plant.”
Merced officials said Saturday that they spent the day negotiating with Foster Farms until they came to an agreement to shut down the plant.
“I never assumed this trek would be easy, but whenever we are able to get the community what they need, then we all win,” Dr. Rebecca Nanyonjo-Kemp, Merced County Public Health Director, said in a statement.
