Tyson employee says he was told to keep working while waiting on COVID-19 results

WILKESBORO, N.C. — Tyson Foods in Wilkesboro was forced to shut down part of its chicken processing plant for the second time in a week because of COVID-19.

Wilkes County reported more than 130 cases over the weekend.

The health department said most of the cases are linked back to the plant.

Some of those workers who are recovering said they were asymptomatic and never felt sick.

Some employees told reporter Dave Faherty that they were told to keep working as they waited on their results.

Much of the parking lot was empty Monday as the company deep cleaned the plant.

A worker, who did not want to be identified, said he’s been home for two weeks after testing positive.

He remembers getting the results and his reaction.

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“Oh, really? Because I didn’t feel anything to indicate to me that I was sick -- no coughing, no fever, nothing,” he said.

Cases like that concern Cherish Jarvis, whose boyfriend works at the plant, along with more than 2,000 others.

She credits Tyson Foods for doing the test but said the company kept employees on the production line as they waited on their results.

“He worked for a good four or five days before his came back negative,” Jarvis said. “It does no good because they expose them to X amount of people before they got the results and sent them home.”

Virus outbreak prompts temporary closure at Tyson Foods poultry plant in Wilkesboro Virus outbreak prompts temporary closure at Tyson Foods poultry plant in Wilkesboro

Wilkes County is not releasing the exact number of positive cases at Tyson Foods, but Caldwell County has traced 15 of its positive cases to the plant and 11 of the 15 cases currently in Alexander County are also linked to the plants in Wilkesboro.

Tyson Foods said in a statement the second shutdown was from “a combination of positive COVID-19 cases and team member absences related to quarantine and other factors.”

The employee said Tyson Foods has done its best to take precautions to keep workers safe.

“They’re defogging the place,” he said. “They’ve been cleaning it. They’re taking all the precautions they can take. But you gotta take some measures in your own hand to protect yourself. “

The health department said Monday that Tyson Foods will soon be releasing the number of COVID-19 cases and tests done at the plants.

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