At least 140 employees Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Los Angeles that makes famous 'Dodger Dogs' test positive for COVID-19

  • Farmer John plant in Vernon section of Los Angeles County is COVID-19 cluster 
  • At least 140 employees at the pork processing plant have tested positive 
  • Farmer John is famous for Dodger Dogs, pork wiener sold at LA Dodger games 
  • Plant is owned by Virginia-based meat manufacturing giant Smithfield Foods
  • Smithfield temporarily shut several plants due to COVID-19 outbreaks
  • Company said that it has implemented safety protocols for its employees 
  • They included temperature checks, plexiglass barriers, masks, and face shields
At least 140 employees who work at a Los Angeles slaughterhouse that processes pork have tested positive for COVID-19.
The outbreak was reported at the Farmer John plant in Vernon, which manufactures the popular Dodger Dog, the 10-inch pork wiener hot dog that is sold at Dodger Stadium during homes games played by the Major League Baseball team.
The plant is owned by Smithfield Foods, the large meat producer that was forced to shut down several plants due to COVID-19 outbreaks in their facilities earlier this spring.
The initial outbreak in the Vernon plant was in mid-April, when six people who worked in the ham deboning department tested positive for COVID-19, according to LAist.
Workers are seen outside a Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon, California, on Thursday. At least 140 employees at the plant have tested positive for COVID-19
Workers are seen outside a Farmer John slaughterhouse in Vernon, California, on Thursday. At least 140 employees at the plant have tested positive for COVID-19
The plant is famous for its signature product, the Dodger Dog, a pork wiener that is sold at Los Angeles Dodgers home games at Dodger Stadium
The plant is famous for its signature product, the Dodger Dog, a pork wiener that is sold at Los Angeles Dodgers home games at Dodger Stadium
Smithfield Foods, the Virginia-based company, said on Sunday that they have put stringent health protocols in place at all of their facilities.
‘Our Smithfield Family members are crucial to our nation's response to COVID-19,’ the company said in a statement.
At least 140 employees who work at a Los Angeles slaughterhouse that processes pork have tested positive for COVID-19.
The outbreak was reported at the Farmer John plant in Vernon, which manufactures the popular Dodger Dog, the 10-inch pork wiener hot dog that is sold at Dodger Stadium during homes games played by the Major League Baseball team.


We thank them for keeping food on America's tables, and have implemented aggressive measures to protect their health and safety during this pandemic.’
The company says it has installed plastic barriers inside their factories. It also says that it requires employees undergo temperature checks regularly.
Smithfield employees also have the benefit of free virus testing as well as personal protective equipment, including masks and face shields.
The image above from 2018 shows pigs before they are slaughtered at the Vernon facility
The image above from 2018 shows pigs before they are slaughtered at the Vernon facility
The company was forced to temporarily shutter several plants, including one in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where 800 employees were infected with COVID-19.
The closures impacted the national supply of meat.
In Los Angeles County, there are at least 44,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. More than 2,000 people have died. 

Californians venture outside as state relaxes virus rules

As California residents ventured outdoors to take advantage of sunshine and relaxed rules to control the spread of coronavirus, authorities said Memorial Day weekend crowds at beaches and parks were manageable Sunday, with most people wearing face coverings and practicing social distancing.
Stay-at-home restrictions eased across much of the state, which has seen a decline in COVID-19 hospitalizations. 
Some 47 of 58 counties have received permission to reopen most stores, restaurants and many public spaces by meeting state standards for controlling the virus.
In the mountain resort community of Big Bear Lake, a steady stream of out-of-town visitors stopped at the Copper Q cafe to pick up to-go coffee and baked goods. 
The city in San Bernardino County northeast of Los Angeles announced last week that it had decided not to enforce Governor Gavin Newsom’s safety orders, arguing it has kept COVID-19 cases manageable and there has been significant economic harm.
San Francisco Bay residents spend the day at Baker Beach on Sunday
San Francisco Bay residents spend the day at Baker Beach on Sunday
On Saturday, the county met state requirements for controlling the virus outbreak and was approved by California health officials to join dozens of counties allowed to move deeper into the second of Newsom’s four-phase reopening.
'It’s not packed, but the crowds are decent,' said Copper Q manager Ashley Coleman. 
'People are keeping their distance and everyone’s wearing masks of course.'
Many Southern California beaches were open only for swimming, running and other activities. 
Sunbathing and group activities such as volleyball were prohibited.
Los Angeles County waterfronts saw lighter crowds than anticipated during the first weekend that officials announced reopened bike paths and some seaside parking lots, said Department of Beaches and Harbor spokeswoman Nicole Mooradian.
'People are definitely taking advantage of the bike paths,' she said. 
'Everyone's very happy that those are open again.'
Volunteers acted as 'goodwill ambassadors' to remind beachgoers to keep moving and not plant chairs and coolers in the sand, Mooradian said. 
The county partially opened parking lots at popular beaches including Zuma, Dockweiler, Will Rogers, Malibu Surfrider and Torrance.
Mooradian wasn’t aware of anyone receiving citations for violating health orders. But she said officials wouldn’t hesitate to close beaches if they become overcrowded.
To the south in Orange County, people were out walking dogs, biking and surfing at Huntington Beach. 
Most were not wearing masks. 
At nearby Sunset Beach, some people were fishing in the ocean. 
Despite signs urging people to keep moving, some beachgoers sat in chairs on the sand in the early morning.
Holiday beachgoers head to Venice Beach on Memorial Day as coronavirus safety restrictions continue being relaxed in Los Angeles County
Holiday beachgoers head to Venice Beach on Memorial Day as coronavirus safety restrictions continue being relaxed in Los Angeles County
The easing of the rules in many counties are the most drastic scaling back of the stay-at-home orders since the governor issued them in mid-March. 
They include Riverside and Sonoma counties, which won approval Friday to join the others moving deeper into the second of a four-stage reopening plan because they have met state standards for controlling the virus.
Some saw it as a safety test as the state prepared to celebrate its first major holiday weekend since a statewide order in mid-March clamped down on all but essential trips and businesses.
Social distancing practices have been cited as the main reason rates of deaths and hospitalizations have slowed in many counties, and people were urged to keep their masks on and their guard up while enjoying recently reopened bike paths, hiking trails and beaches.
'It’s nice outside. That doesn’t mean #COVID19 has gone away. Wash your hands. Stay 6 feet apart. Wear a face covering. Be smart. Your actions can literally save lives,' Newsom tweeted Sunday.
Meanwhile hundreds of protesters rallied outside the state Capitol on Saturday to protest against the stay-at-home orders. 
Demonstrators demanded that Newsom fully lift his restrictions on business, religious gatherings and other activities.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. 
For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.
Los Angeles County, the state’s largest with 10 million people, has been hardest-hit by COVID-19, with more than 44,000 cases and nearly 2,100 deaths. 
However, hospitalization and increased testing, which allows for quicker identification, treatment and isolation of people who tested positive for COVID-19 and their close contacts, helped slow the spread of infections, health officials said Saturday.
The state is still seeing troubling COVID-19 flare-ups, however. 

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