A Smithfield Foods employee has tested positive for COVID 19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. Smithfield officials says that employee is being quarantined for 14 days and won’t be permitted to return to work until being cleared by their healthcare provider. South Dakota Pork Producers Council Executive Director Glenn Muller says they’re concerned about the health of those processing plant workers and need to have those facilities up and operating.

He says Smithfield Foods officials are taking the proper steps with this incident.

Muller says their major concern now is the long term health of packing plant workers.

The Centers for Disease Control says there is no evidence that COVID 19 is associated with food and there is likely very, very low risk of spread from food products or packaging that are shipped over a period of days or weeks at refrigerated or frozen temperatures.