According to the Los Angeles Times, COVID-19 has affected operations in four meat packing plants in the city of Vernon, in LA County. In the case of the Farmer John plant owned by Smithfield Foods, 153 of 1,837 employees tested positive in early May. Eight other facilities packing tea, baked goods, frozen food and meat have recorded cases of COVID-19. The various plants confirmed between five and twenty-five employees as positive presumably using on-site sampling and remote assay by the County health department.
Smithfield Foods maintains that it is following CDC and OSHA guidelines and has relaxed attendance policies, eliminated co-payment for treatment and extended paid leave to at-risk employees.
In addition to the Southern California outbreaks, 138 employees at Central Valley Meat Company in Hanford were diagnosed with COVID-19.