OMAHA- The Arkansas-based company which processes 20% of all beef, pork and chicken in the U.S. plans to open COVID-19 testing clinics near their plants. The pilot program initially will set up seven plants, one of which is in Storm Lake, Iowa. The plants are planning to open the clinics early next year.

Tyson is joining a long list of companies that either have clinics on their property or provide physicians for checkups for their workers and their families. Clinics help reduce health insurance costs and improves productivity. Tyson says the pandemic showed them just how important these clinics are to ensure their workers are healthy. It is especially pertinent to meatpacking plants workers as coronavirus has been a huge issue because they stand shoulder-to-shoulder for their shifts.

The United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, which represents 24,000 Tyson workers in the U.S., praised Tyson's decision to do this. 17,700 meatpacking workers have been infected with the virus and 115 have died according the the Union. Tyson has been sued for putting their workers at risk early in the pandemic.

Now, Tyson plants put up plastic dividers between workers, handed out protective gear and take temperatures of all employees when they arrive. Now, less than 1% of their workers tested positive this past week. The clinics will be run by Marathon Health and employees will receive no charges for the services.

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