Trump to order meat plants to stay open during pandemic, despite outbreaks

7 cartoons about the CDC&#039;s surprising mask mandate reversal

(Image credit: Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

published 28 April 2020

President Trump plans to invoke the Defense Production Act to order meat-processing plants to remain open during the coronavirus pandemic, as the threat of meat shortage looms, reports Bloomberg.

The government will provide protective gear and increased virus testing capacity to beef, chicken, egg, and pork supply plants. Meat stocks rose at the news of the order, per Bloomberg.

The move comes after Tyson took out a full-page ad in various newspapers Sunday, stating that "the food supply chain is breaking." In the last two months, at least 22 plants have closed, impacting more than 35,000 workers, and leading to a 25 percent reduction in pork slaughter capacity and 10 percent in beef slaughter capacity, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union. Estimates showed up to 80 percent of U.S. meat production capacity could shut down, Bloomberg reports.

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Taylor Watson is audience engagement editor for TheWeek.com and a former editorial assistant. She graduated from Syracuse University, with a major in magazine journalism and minors in food studies and nutrition. Taylor has previously written for Runner's World, Vice, and more.

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