Smithfield plant in Crete, Nebraska to remain open

Smithfield Pork

A Smithfield Foods pork processing plant in Crete, Nebraska will not be closing down after all, according to the Lincoln Journal Star.

The newspaper was sent an employee email Tuesday morning that said the plant would be have a reduced schedule, requiring employees to work daily until lunch-time, rather than completely shuttering after a COVID-19 outbreak.

Maintenance, rendering and shipping will work regular schedules.

Employees had reportedly received an email on Monday saying the plant would officially be shutting down Wednesday, but a Smithfield spokeswoman declined to confirm those reports.

On Tuesday morning, a spokesman told the Journal Star that the plant remains operational.

According to News Channel Nebraska, mass testing of employees at the facility was conducted last week and 47 of those tests came back positive. As a whole, Saline County, where Crete is located, has 87 cases.

Smithfield has had plants shut down throughout the Midwest and on Monday, the company released a lengthy statement regarding its coronavirus response.