Just hours after a labor union reported what may be the first poultry worker deaths associated with the coronavirus in the U.S., Vice President Mike Pence urged American food workers to continue to “show up and do your job.”
“You are vital,” he said during a press conference late Tuesday. “You are giving a great service to the people of the United States of America and we need you to continue, as a part of what we call critical infrastructure, to show up and do your job.” In return, Pence said, the government will “work tirelessly” to ensure their workplaces are safe.
Pence’s remarks came just hours after the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union that represents thousands of poultry-processing workers across the southern U.S. reported that two members at a Tyson Foods Inc. facility in Georgia had died from the virus. It was unclear whether they were infected while at work. Tyson said the company has been taking temperatures, stepped up deep cleaning at its plants, implemented social distancing measures and given workers access to protective face coverings.
“Since the U.S. government considers Tyson Foods a critical infrastructure company, we take our responsibility to continue feeding the nation very seriously,” the Springdale, Arkansas-based company said by email, without commenting on the reported deaths.