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Tyson Foods Reports 570 COVID-19 Cases At Wilkesboro Plant

KERI BROWN/WFDD

Tyson Foods has confirmed that 570 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at its Wilkesboro facility. 

More than 2,200 Tyson workers and contractors were tested. The majority did not show any symptoms and otherwise would not have been identified.

According to a news release, workers who tested positive are receiving paid leave and have been told to stay home until they have met the criteria established by both the CDC and Tyson.

The company said it's increasing testing and health care options. It's also providing face masks, putting physical barriers between work stations, and implementing social distancing practices.  

Tyson had temporarily closed parts of the North Carolina complex that houses multiple plants for deep cleaning, including a multi-day closure announced last week. 

Forsyth County officials say dozens of cases there have been linked to the Tyson facility.

For the most up-to-date information on coronavirus in North Carolina, visit our Live Updates blog here. WFDD wants to hear your stories — connect with us and let us know what you're experiencing.

Copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Neal Charnoff joined 88.5 WFDD as Morning Edition host in 2014. Raised in the Catskill region of upstate New York, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College in 1983. Armed with a liberal arts degree, Neal was fully equipped to be a waiter. So he prolonged his arrested development bouncing around New York and L.A. until discovering that people enjoyed listening to his voice on the radio. After a few years doing overnight shifts at a local rock station, Neal spent most of his career at Vermont Public Radio. He began as host of a nightly jazz program, where he was proud to interview many of his idols, including Dave Brubeck and Sonny Rollins. Neal graduated to the news department, where he was the local host for NPR's All Things Considered for 14 years. In addition to news interviews and features, he originated and produced the Weekly Conversation On The Arts, as well as VPR Backstage, which profiled theater productions around the state. He contributed several stories to NPR, including coverage of a devastating ice storm. Neal now sees the value of that liberal arts degree, and approaches life with the knowledge that all subjects and all art forms are connected to each other. Neal and his wife Judy are enjoying exploring North Carolina and points south. They would both be happy to never experience a Vermont winter again.

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