Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams Archives

Thirteen hog farm employees in Audrain County have tested positive for the coronavirus. Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams says the cases impact the overall food chain. Some Missouri meat processing plants have closed or reduced their output due to coronavirus outbreaks, including in Moniteau and Saline Counties.

Coronavirus hits Missouri hog farm

“We think we have to get into our about 15 food processing plants going forward and doing sentinel testing and repeat testing and just very quickly try to identify cases there before they multiply into the 13 cases you’re seeing at this hog farm and obviously the 400 plus cases you saw up at Triumph Foods in Buchanan County,” says Williams.

Williams says the farm, which has about 60 employees, is experiencing a trend that is happening at the national level.

“You take Saline County which has a high case ratio compared to the population,” says Williams. “When you look at that, they tend to be very closely-affiliated with our food processors. You look at Buchanan, and Moniteau and Saline County.”

Saline County has 253 coronavirus cases.