Johnsonville plant temporarily closes due to COVID-19 concerns

Five employees at the Johnsonville sausage plant have tested positive for COVID-19 (coronavirus) over the past week, prompting the plant to temporarily halt operations starting this afternoon (Wednesdasy), a Johnsonville spokesperson said yesterday.

The five confirmed COVID-19 cases increased the total number of cases in Jackson County to seven, according to Jackson County Health Officer Angie Reith, who reported one case last Friday, one on Saturday and three yesterday. Two of the county’s cases have recovered and have been released from isolation, while no deaths or hospitalizations have resulted from the county’s cases, Reith reported.

According to Stephanie Dlugopolski, manager of public relations for Johnsonville Foods, the decision to temporarily shut down the Johnsonville plant in Holton after the five employees tested positive was made as an extra precaution to protect other employees, their families and the Jackson County community. 

Reith added that Johnsonville’s decision to suspend operations in Holton was “tough” but appreciated as a means of helping prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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