Gov. Jared Polis speaks on Monday, April 13, 2020.
Due to a COVID-19 outbreak at the JBS meat plant in Greeley, the facility will be temporarily closed.
Monday, Gov. Jared Polis said the plant will be sanitized and workers will be tested before the plant comes back on line.
How long the shutdown will last is unknown right now.
"As long as it takes," Gov. Polis said. "It will be closed long enough that folks can be tested and it will be a safe environment before they go back to work."
The governor did not give an estimate on ow much time it would take to get that done.
"We hope that it's [only] days. Whether that's two days or two weeks, that's what they're going to do. JBS is committed to keeping their employees safe."
Gov. Polis said getting the plant back on line is imperative.
"Our priority it going to be to make sure we restore this critical part of our national food service security, which is also a part of the livelihood of our ranchers as well as important to consumers, as quickly as possible," he said.
The governor said the outbreak has not endangered any part of the food supply at the plant.
"There's no evidence at all there's any risk to consumers. It's an issue in the plant that employees and others in the supply chain might have been exposed to the virus and may have contracted the virus.," Gov. Polis said.
Governor Polis said talked about other issues in his press conference, including keeping nursing homes in the state safe, having hotel/motel owner use their empty rooms to temporarily house homeless people, the process of reopening the state to commerce and more.
He also announced a mask contest and had the Director of Colorado Creative Industries Margaret Hunt talk about that.
Full remarks are below.
KOA NewsRadio's Jerry Bell has more.
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Reaction from the beef industry:
Colorado Beef Industry Responds to Greeley, Colorado’s JBS Beef Packing Plant
Temporary Closure Due to COVID-19
April 13, 2020 - Today, JBS USA announced the temporary closure of the Greeley beef production facility until April 24, 2020, in response to Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). JBS took this step in close coordination with the Weld County Department of Public Health and Environment and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment.
“While beef producers are committed to providing safe and abundant beef for families throughout Colorado, the nation, and the world, our first concern is ensuring the health and safety of Coloradans in stopping the spread of COVID-19. We were saddened to hear of the passing of two workers from the plant and our thoughts are with their families,” stated Colorado Cattlemen’s Association (CCA) President Steve Wooten of Kim, Colorado.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have repeatedly stated that food products are safe. Colorado Beef Council (CBC) Chair Sallie Miller of Briggsdale, Colorado emphasizes, “The entire beef industry continues to provide consumers with a diversity of products they expect and is dedicated to working together to ensure food safety remains its top priority.”
Consumers can be confident that adequate supplies of beef are available in their grocery store of choice. “While consumers have recently experienced some products being sold out in stores, this was a result of a peak in consumer demand and supply chain disruptions,” said Mike Veeman, Colorado Livestock Association (CLA) President.
Our organizations are concerned about the business environment surrounding COVID-19, especially that of all beef production sectors from the cow/calf producer to the processing plant. However, we remain resolute in our commitment to do our part to end this pandemic, while providing a safe and nutritious beef eating experience.
From the governor's office:
Gov. Polis Provides Update on State Response to COVID-19
** INFORMACIÓN SEGUIDA EN ESPAÑOL**
DENVER - Gov. Jared Polis today provided an update on the state’s response to COVID-19.
“Colorado’s beef industry is a critical part of our state’s economy, which is why we continue working closely with the Weld County public health department to ensure the safety of the JBS workers and get the plant open as soon as is safe in order to protect the food supply,” said Governor Jared Polis. “We should all be doing our part and staying home as much as possible, but when we leave the house for essential activities it’s critical that we wear a face mask to protect those around us. Coloradans are known for their creative and entrepreneurial spirits, and are always ready to rise to the challenge. The Colorado Face Mask Challenge is just one way for Coloradans to add their personal touch and I can’t wait to see the designs they submit.”
Gov. Polis provided an update on the outbreak at the JBS plant in Greeley. The priority in this situation remains protecting workers and the Greeley community at large, as well as getting this critical part of the national food infrastructure back online. JBS closed the facility for a deep cleaning on Friday, March 10, and will be closed for two weeks. The Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) and Weld County Public health have been in conversations with JBS to design an aggressive testing and containment strategy, so they can continue their critical work which ranchers and consumers rely on. Gov. Polis has prioritized the Colorado National Guard to provide logistical support for testing so the plant can safely start up again. Affected JBS workers should contact the Department of Labor and Employment at coloradoui.gov to be connected with potential benefits or assistance.
On April 3, Governor Polis urged all Coloradans to wear masks to limit the spread of COVID-19 when leaving their homes for critical activities. Today, Gov. Polis encouraged Coloradans to participate in the Colorado Face Mask Design Challenge. Some of the submitted designs will be featured on the Colorado Creative Industries Facebook page, and a select few will be printed on real face masks produced by Colorado companies and will be available for purchase. Coloradans can submit designs by filling out the submission form and can learn more about the challenge here.
The Governor also announced that the state will begin releasing all available race and ethnicity data on reported cases of COVID-19 in the state. The data released currently represents 75% of all reported COVID-19 cases, initial disease reports to public health are often missing information on race and ethnicity. CDPHE is drafting a public health order to clarify the type of data the department needs from health care entities. The public health order will help the department have a more complete dataset moving forward. The initial data shows that that the percentage of cases is statistically higher for Hispanic/Latino, African Americans, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Coloradans compared to the overall population distribution.
The administration is also continuing conversations with the hospital association around hospital discharge data and the best way to report patients who have recovered and have been discharged. CDPHE is also working with local public health departments to gather comprehensive and uniform data.
El Gobernador Polis Da a Conocer la Actualización sobre la Respuesta Estatal a COVID-19
DENVER - El gobernador Jared Polis anunció el día de hoy una actualización sobre la respuesta del estado a COVID-19.
"La industria de la carne bovina de Colorado es parte fundamental de la economía de nuestro estado, por lo que seguimos trabajando estrechamente con el Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Weld para garantizar la seguridad de los trabajadores de JBS y abrir la planta lo antes posible para proteger nuestro suministro de alimentos ", dijo el gobernador Jared Polis. "Todos debemos estar haciendo nuestra parte y quedarnos en casa tanto como sea posible, pero cuando salimos de casa para realizar actividades esenciales, es fundamental que usemos una máscara facial para proteger a quienes nos rodean. Los habitantes de Colorado son conocidos por su espíritu creativo y emprendedor, y siempre están listos para enfrentar un desafío. El reto Colorado Face Mask Challenge, es solo una forma para que los habitantes de Colorado agregen su toque personal y no puedo esperar para ver los diseños que envían ".
El gobernador Polis proporcionó una actualización sobre el brote en la planta de JBS en Greeley. La prioridad en este caso continúa siendo proteger a los trabajadores y a la comunidad de Greeley en general, así como también volver a restaurar la operación de esta parte crítica de la infraestructura alimenticia nacional. JBS cerró las instalaciones para una limpieza profunda el viernes 10 de marzo, y el estado espera una reapertura esta semana. El Departamento de Salud Pública y Medio Ambiente (CDPHE) y el Departamento de Salud Pública del Condado de Weld han estado en conversaciones con JBS para diseñar una estrategia agresiva de pruebas y contención, para que puedan continuar su crítico trabajo en el que confían los ganaderos y los consumidores. El gobernador Polis ha dado prioridad a la Guardia Nacional de Colorado para que brinde apoyo logístico para las pruebas, de modo que la planta pueda volver a comenzar operaciones de manera segura. Los trabajadores de JBS afectados deben comunicarse con el Departamento de Trabajo y Empleo encoloradoui.gov para tener acceso a posibles beneficios o asistencia.
El 3 de abril, el gobernador Polis instó a todos los habitantes de Colorado a usar máscaras para limitar la propagación de COVID-19 cuando salgan de sus hogares para realizar actividades críticas. Hoy, el gobernador Polis alentó a los habitantes de Colorado a participar en el reto Colorado Face Mask Design Challenge. Algunos de los diseños presentados se presentarán en la página de Facebook de Colorado Creative Industries, y varios de esto diseños se usarán en máscaras reales producidas por compañías de Colorado y estarán disponibles para compra. Los habitantes de Colorado pueden enviar diseños completandoel formulario de solicitud y pueden obtener más información sobre el desafíoaquí.
El gobernador también anunció que el estado comenzará a divulgar todos los datos disponibles de raza y origen étnico sobre los casos reportados de COVID-19 en el estado. Los datos divulgados actualmente representan el 75% de todos los casos reportados de COVID-19, los informes iniciales de enfermedades de salud pública a menudo carecen de información sobre raza y origen étnico. CDPHE está redactando una orden de salud pública para clarificar el tipo de datos que este departamento necesita recibir de las entidades de atención médica. La orden de salud pública ayudará al departamento a tener datos más completos en el futuro. Los datos iniciales muestran que el porcentaje de casos es estadísticamente más alto para habitantes hispanos/latinos, afroamericanos y nativos de Hawái/del Pacífico que los habitantes de Colorado en comparación con la distribución general de la población.
La administración también continúa conversaciones con la asociación de hospitales sobre los datos de admisión hospitalaria y la mejor manera de informar acerca de los pacientes que se han recuperado y han sido dados de alta. CDPHE también está trabajando con los departamentos locales de salud pública para recopilar datos completos y uniformes.