Trump orders meat plants remain open, despite COVID-19 outbreaks


President Trump on Tuesday night used the Defense Production Act to order meat processing facilities stay open amid the coronavirus pandemic.
More than a dozen have shut down in recent weeks due to employee illness, including two of the country's largest plants, with some reporting that hundreds of workers have been infected with COVID-19. Several closed their doors after being pressured by local health officials and city governments. So far, there has been a 25 percent reduction in pork slaughter capacity and a 10 percent reduction in beef slaughter capacity, The New York Times reports.
Trump's executive order classifies meat plants as "critical infrastructure," and says the closures "threaten the continued functioning of the national meat and poultry supply chain" during the pandemic. Trump signed the order after John Tyson, chairman of the board of Tyson Foods, placed a newspaper ad over the weekend stating that "the food supply chain is breaking."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Assembly lines are tight spaces, with employees often working right next to each other. The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union says at least 20 meat plant employees have died of the coronavirus, and its leaders are calling on companies to provide daily health testing, personal protective gear, and paid sick leave for employees.
"While we share the concern over the food supply, today's executive order to force meatpacking plants to stay open must put the safety of our country's meatpacking workers first," Marc Perrone, the union's president, told the Times. "Simply put, we cannot have a secure food supply without the safety of these workers."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Trump’s budget bill will increase the deficit. Does it matter?
Today's Big Question Analysts worry a 'tipping point' is coming
-
Film reviews: The Phoenician Scheme, Bring Her Back, and Jane Austen Wrecked My Life
Feature A despised mogul seeks a fresh triumph, orphaned siblings land with a nightmare foster mother, and a Jane fan finds herself in a love triangle
-
Music reviews: Tune-Yards and PinkPantheress
Feature "Better Dreaming" and "Fancy That"
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect