Multi-county outbreak tied to Tyson Fresh Meats in Wallula, WA

WALLA WALLA—Walla Walla County health officials confirmed on Monday, April 13 that six positive cases of COVID-19 in Walla Walla County are linked to employment at Tyson Fresh Meats in Wallula. In addition, the Benton- Franklin Health District is reporting 28 lab-confirmed cases in Benton and Franklin Counties, with two additional probable cases, bringing the total number of cases to 30. This is considered a multi-county outbreak.

Tyson is taking the situation very seriously and conversations with local and corporate leadership began early last week.

“The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health’s Environmental Health team had a conference call with Tyson plant manager and corporate leadership about their plans to prevent further spread of COVID- 19,” said Meghan DeBolt, Director of Community Health. “We were assured they were screening for fever, increasing physical distancing, spacing shift start times, and had increased their cleaning.”

Tyson Fresh Meats implemented several mitigation efforts over the past week to prevent further spread of COVID-19. These include:

•Symptom Screening and Case Monitoring

•Physical/Social Distancing

•Sanitizing/Cleaning

Tyson has also ordered and provided surgical masks for all employees; however, they are not required to wear them.

Walla Walla County Department of Community Health is working with the Benton-Franklin Health District and the Washington State Department of Health as well as managers at the plant on this matter. After conference calls with all partners and a site visit this afternoon, health officials feel Tyson is making a concerted effort to minimize transmission on site.

“We have two options – close the plant for 14 days and hope their employees stay under quarantine for those two weeks while at home, or work with them to be successful in prevention efforts,” said DeBolt. “We know isolation and quarantine is not a natural state and thus, it is likely, even if we close the plant, that transmission amongst workers will continue while at home. We cannot guarantee that everyone will stay home, stay healthy.”

Health officials will allow the plant to remain open, but additional measures will need to be put in place quickly.

“Since prevention efforts started only a week ago, we will not see their full effect for at least another week,” said DeBolt. “We know there will be more cases in the coming days that are associated with exposure at the plant; however, we anticipate a ‘flattening of the curve’ once the prevention efforts are in place later this week. If we do not see a reduction in transmission, we will reevaluate with partners at Benton- Franklin Health District and the Department of Health.”

We want to remind the community that public health and food safety experts do not have any evidence to suggest that COVID-19 can be transmitted by food or food packaging. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), in-plant personnel who are ill with COVID-19 or any other illness are excluded from work activities that could create unsanitary conditions (coughing or sneezing on product).