Yesterday, US President Donald Trump signed a decree giving orders to meat producers to continue their work, on the back of fears of a lack of meat due to the outbreak of the new Corona virus, according to the White House announcement.
"President Trump signed an executive order giving him the authority to ensure that supplies continue uninterrupted in beef, pork, and chicken for Americans," the presidency said in a statement.
Trump resorted to the "Defense Production Act" to classify this sector as essential in the serious economic crisis in the United States. For its part, the federal government will provide protective equipment to sector employees.
Trump said in an interview with reporters at the White House, on Tuesday afternoon, that he would sign this executive order "within an hour."
The number of slaughterhouses being closed in the United States is increasing due to the injury of employees, which raises concerns about the supply of meat.
The American meat giant Tyson Foods has announced that it will temporarily close an additional slaughterhouse because of the outbreak of the Covid-19 epidemic.
And its competitor, GBSUSA, announced a few days ago, the closure of its slaughterhouse slaughtering 20,000 heads per day in Minnesota, in addition to another site for slaughtering cows in Colorado.
The Union of Workers in the Sector requested, on Tuesday, that the Presidential Decree be accompanied by measures to increase the number of examinations for the detection of «Covid-19», and measures of social separation in slaughterhouses.
"The reality is that these workers are putting their lives at risk every day to feed our country during the outbreak of this deadly epidemic," said union leader Mark Peroni.
According to Peroni, at least 20 employees from the sector have died as a result of the "new corona", and more than 5,000 others have been hospitalized or have symptoms of "Covid-19".