Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue made a rare appearance at the White House Wednesday for the daily COVID-19 press conference. Perdue appeared in the Rose Garden on Wednesday for the daily pandemic briefing to remind food industry workers to comply with public health guidelines.
“We need our local health authorities and our state health authorities to do everything they can to balance the demand of keeping our facilities operational and our critical industries going, while at the same time keeping the health and safety of employees as a top priority as well as our communities,” Perdue said during the press conference.
Perdue also added the empty shelves at grocery stores are a demand issue, not a supply issue.
“In the United States, we have plenty of food for all of our citizens,” Perdue said.
The biggest concern for the food supply is the health of the workforce. Several packing plants have already been shut down due to outbreaks.
Perdue cited CDC guidance for critical workers, which allows people who may have been exposed to someone with Covid-19 to stay on the job. But other food industry leaders have found guidance from CDC insufficient for manufacturers trying to keep their employees safe.