Perdue Farms put out a statement of support after the state of Virginia enacted new mandatory requirements for workplaces to keep employees safe during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Perdue's website details some of its already-implemented COVID-19 prevention efforts, including practicing social distancing not only in common areas but also on the production lines where possible, and implementing temperature checking at all production facilities.
"While we are already – and have been beginning in early March – in compliance with the State of Virginia’s new safety measures in accordance with CDC guidelines, we welcome these requirements and applaud the officials responsible for enacting them with the shared value of protecting our colleagues and neighbors," said Mark McCay, president of Perdue Foods. "Our ability to be part of our nation’s food supply throughout this pandemic is due to our company’s, including our associates’, responsiveness and attention to social distancing, sanitation, use of masks and other personal protective equipment, and much more to keep COVID-19 at bay."
Perdue Farms employs more than 3,300 people throughout its Virginia facilities, including poultry operations in Accomac and Bridgewater, a distribution center in Prince George and a deepwater port and grain facility in Chesapeake. It contributes nearly $930 million in economic impact to Virginia annually.
The company's Accomac poultry plant saw a coronavirus outbreak in mid-May, with 510 workers testing positive for the virus.
Following the outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control toured Perdue’s Accomac facility and affirmed that the steps the company had implemented were "best-in-class and effective in protecting associates," Perdue said in a statement.
