According to statistics provided by the Iowa Department of Public Health during Governor Kim Reynolds’ COVID-19 press conference Tuesday morning, 58% of the employees at the Tyson Fresh Meats plant in Perry have tested positive for coronavirus since the pandemic began.

IDPH Deputy Director Sara Reisetter said they were conducting close surveillance on all meat packing plants in Iowa, and there were a reported 730 positive tests conducted at the Perry plant. Many of those who tested positive are residents of neighboring counties – since as of Tuesday there have been 613 cases of COVID-19 in Dallas County – so it’s unknown exactly how many of the positive tests were of Perry residents specifically. It’s also not known at this time how many of the workers have fully recovered, though the plant reopened Monday after briefly closing to deep clean and conduct additional tests. However, the shear number of cases accentuates the recent call by Perry City officials to have regional reporting of virus cases based on zip code, which City Administrator Sven Peterson says would help decision-makers have a clearer picture for what they’re faced with locally.

The percentage of cases at the Perry plant far surpasses those at the other two Iowa Tyson locations, with 26% of the workforce at Columbus Junction and 17% at Waterloo also reported by Reisetter. Tyson Communications Manager Liz Croston pointed out Monday that all employees at the Perry plant who have returned to work this week have been tested and cleared. She also said the company has implemented enhanced safety protocols to ensure their efforts meet or exceed local, state, and federal guidelines. Raccoon Valley Radio will bring you more information on this situation as it becomes official.