CDC In Sioux Falls, Assessing Smithfield Foods COVID-19 Outbreak

A response team from the Centers for Disease Control is in Sioux Falls to conduct an assessment of the COVID-19 outbreak at Smithfield Foods, according to Dakota News Now.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said in a tweet the team arrived in Sioux Falls on Wednesday, April 15.

The Smithfield Foods outbreak is responsible for over 500 COVID-19 cases, making up the majority of the cases in the Sioux Falls area.

The plant is temporarily closed due to the outbreak.  The Sioux Falls Smithfield plant produces about 5% of the pork consumed in the United States.  The outbreak and resulting closure have made national news.

The South Dakota State Medical Association has urged the governor to enact a stay-at-home order for the state. Noem says she believes a shelter-in-place order for Sioux Falls would not have prevented the outbreak at Smithfield.