Gov. Tim Walz and agriculture officials discuss the next steps after the JBS pork plant closure in Worthington.
Minnesota is the 2nd-highest pork producer in the nation. Not to the mention the plant is vital to the southwest Minnesota city.
Walz says the flare-up of cases shows how tenuous it is to keep some workplaces open or return them to normal operation.
“What are those industries that we can bring back in a safe manner, making sure that we don’t get in a situation, while JBS was open, Smithfield was open, they still are not immune from having clusters of infections that in the long run, if your workforce can’t come to work it doesn’t matter whether you’re open or closed by state stay-at-home order, the facts remain the same,” he said.
The Minnesota Department of Health says 41 of the latest 77 cases in Nobles County were interviewed for contract tracing. Of those, 33 were employees and six were family members. The interviews at JBS are taking longer because there are more than 40 languages spoken at the plant. Health Commissioner Jan Malcom says many of the workers live in "crowded" and "mobile" housing. Officials are working with community organizations to reach out to workers who may be fearful of involvement because they are undocumented.
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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says they’re helping smaller plants prepare to handle more pork capacity and finding other markets for the pigs. Farmers are also slowing the growth weight of pigs to buy time. Later, some farms may have to depopulate pigs.
Walz says the indefinite closure speaks to larger uncertainty about workplaces, adding this could spell a “generational” change.
“I think most of these retailers and businesses understand, they’re going to have to change the way business is done for about the next 18 months (until there’s a vaccine),” Walz said. “They’re going to have to do that regardless of what a stay-at-home order looks like because people are naturally understanding we’re going to have to social distance and they’re shopping and their retail-buying experience is going to change dramatically. As I keep saying, very few people are going to go in and try on clothes right now, whether a retail store’s open or not.
Walz today also detailed a 10-minute phone call with President Trump Saturday night, saying it was a productive discussion about testing and what’s working here.
“Here in Minnesota, they really, really want him to succeed. They really, really want the state to succeed,” Walz said, “I said, ‘If we can work together, this is not an either-or proposition.’ I felt, certainly, better about it. I think, again, we’ll see how things go moving forward. Minnesotans should expect that that’s what I’m focusing on. It made me a little more comfortable that we’re not gonna get sidetracked into things that take us away from the main mission.”
Meanwhile, state partners and local companies like 3M and EcoLab continue to help with pro bono work in helping the state possess PPE and materials.
Walz says by this week it’s possible Minnesota has the supplies and capacity to test tens of thousands per week to help more people get back to work. But as JBS shows, even after May 4, he suggests a gradual progression.
“What I would tell Minnesotans is we’re always looking at the new data, we’re always looking to modify,” Walz said. “I am trying to thread a needle, as I think others are, between public safety and smart, science-based reopening with an understand of the economic, physical and mental health tolls that this thing is taking.”
He expects to have an announcement about schools soon, but says he’s pessimistic about group sports returning.
