Tyson beef plant worker in Tri-Cities dies of coronavirus. All workers to be tested

A Tyson Fresh Meats worker who lived in Pasco has died from complications of COVID-19.

J. Guadalupe Olivera Mendoza, 60, was a butcher at the plant near the Tri-Cities.

Then number of COVID-19 cases linked to the beef slaughter and packing plant at Wallula in Walla Walla County was 101 as of Wednesday, according to local health districts.

The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health said on Tuesday that it was requiring Tyson Foods to allow it to test each of the approximately 1,400 workers at the plant for COVID-19 within the next week.

But some are calling for the plant to close until the outbreak is contained. More than 4,000 people have signed a petition at change.org calling for the plant to close for 14 days to protect workers.

Olivera died Monday, April 20, at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland, where he had been hospitalized and on a ventilator since about April 8.

One of his daughters, Nancy Olivera of Kennewick, said when he first started having symptoms in late March he was not tested for infection with the new coronavirus because of the shortage of testing supplies but was told to go home and self isolate.

He initially improved, but then became sicker and was tested then, receiving test results around the start of April.

One of his family members also was infected, but was not seriously ill.

He had lived in the Tri-Cities for about 12 years.

Testing of plant workers

The total cases linked to the outbreak at Tyson Fresh Meats includes 91 residents of Benton and Franklin counties, nine in Walla Walla County and one in Umatilla County, Ore.

After workers at the plant are tested by the Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, they will be sent home to self isolate until their test results come back.

“This may require the plant to close for a day or two, depending on when the testing can take place and how long it takes to get results back,” said Meghan DeBolt, director of the Walla Walla county health agency.

Testing supplies have been in short supply across the nation, but the Washington state Department of Health is making testing Tyson employees a priority.

It is supplying about 1,500 test kits to check all of the plant’s workers for infection, said Lis Jessee, emergency management director for Walla Walla County.

“Quickly identifying cases, getting them isolated, along with their household members, and quarantining their close contacts is critical to our public health response to COVID-19,” DeBolt said.

The local health department began discussions with local and corporate Tyson leaders on April 6 and has been in daily communication since then.

Health officials visited the plant on April 13 and returned on Tuesday to see if a plan to protect workers using guidance from the state Department of Health had been implemented as required by Monday, April 20.

Walla Walla County officials said the plant has set up a vented tent to allow more space for workers eating meals and taking breaks.

It’s also added shields within the cafeteria and break areas and many hand sanitation stations. The company also is allowing more time between shift changes to separate employees leaving and entering the plant, among other improvements.

Fruit plant coronavirus outbreak

One of the most recent requirements was adding information and signs explaining COVID-19 and protective measures that workers who speak more than 11 languages could understand.

Walla Walla County health officials have said they planned to allow time to see if increased protective measures work, but could consider closing the plant for a time if Tyson protective measures are not adequate.

However, some people are calling for county officials to shut the plant down for two weeks as some other meat processing centers across the nation have done.

The Walla Walla County Department of Community Health also is responding to an outbreak of COVID-19 at First Fruits in Prescott, north of Walla Walla.

Five workers there have COVID-19.

First Fruits has told employees they do not have to come to work, making the operations area less crowded and helping allow six feet of space between workers.

The grower, packer and shipper, formerly known Broetje Orchards, grows apples and cherries on 6,000 acres in Eastern Washington and employs up to 2,500 workers at its peak, according to it’s Facebook page.

When First Fruits had trouble finding enough masks for all employees, several employees made face coverings for their co-workers.

“They put measures in place well before we reached out to them,” DeBolt said.

This story was originally published April 22, 2020 at 12:53 PM with the headline "Tyson beef plant worker in Tri-Cities dies of coronavirus. All workers to be tested."