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COVID-19 causes Smithfield to close plants near Milwaukee, Kansas City

Smithfield Foods is closing two more pork processing plants after employees tested positive for coronavirus.  The Cudahy, Wisconsin dry sausage and bacon plant will be closed for two weeks and a Kansas City, Missouri area plant will be closed indefinitely. 

In a statement, Smithfield CEO Kenneth Sullivan says the Martin City, Missouri plant makes smoked and spiral-cut hams and receives raw material from the company’s closed Sioux Falls, South Dakota facility. 

Smithfield says employees will be paid for the next two weeks while the plants are closed and sanitized.  Smithfield’s statement says a small number of employees at the Missouri and Wisconsin plants tested positive for COVID-19.  The Cudahy, Wisconsin health department reportedly found 28 positive cases Wednesday, three times more than a week ago.