US President Donald trump last week ordered meat processing plants to continue operating during the new outbreak, and some meat processing plants began to gradually return to work on Thursday.

Smithfield foods Co. is preparing to resume production Thursday at a pork processing plant in Sioux falls, south Dakota. The Associated Press saw workers from the factory's minced pork department line up to enter a tent for tests to make sure they did not have fever or other symptoms of a novel coronavirus.

The plant was shut down for more than two weeks after more than 800 employees were diagnosed with novel coronavirus.

Lydia tobey arrived at the factory at 6 a.m. for her first shift, which lasted two weeks, still worried. The manager of her department explained to employees on Monday that the factory's production line had been equipped with dividers to keep employees separated and that all employees had to wear masks. Toby said, "I think everything will be all right."

Tyson foods inc. resumed limited production Thursday at a pork processing plant in logansport, indiana. Nearly 900 employees at the plant previously tested positive for novel coronavirus.

The U.S. subsidiary of Brazil's JBS, the world's largest fresh beef and pork processor, plans to partially resume production Monday at a processing plant in worthington, minn.

There has been a "wave of closures" in the us meat processing industry after a large number of workers became infected. As of early may, more than 20 large meat processing plants owned by tyson, JBS and other food companies were temporarily closed, resulting in an imbalance between U.S. meat supply and demand.

Democratic presidential candidate and former vice President Joe biden said Thursday that meat packing plants are among the most dangerous places to be. He called for more protection for meatpacking workers and guaranteed overtime pay of $13 an hour.

Smithfield foods, based in Virginia, sent a text message to employees saying it would offer a novel coronavirus test to employees and their families at a local middle school. Virginia governor kristi norm said state workers are not required to undergo testing before returning to work, but strongly recommended doing so.

About 250 workers at smithfield foods Co. returned to work Thursday, the Associated Press reported, citing a labor union. The company employs about 3,700 people and produces about 5 percent of the nation's pork.

Novel coronavirus has infected more than 4900 workers at a meat and poultry processing plant in the United States, killing 20 of them, according to a report released by the centers for disease control and prevention on Monday. A few days after JBS restarted production at a beef processing plant in greeley, Colorado, in late April, the number of newly confirmed cases among employees doubled, Reuters reported, citing a union leader.

Due to the risks of physical contact, poor sanitation, and overcrowding at meat and poultry processing sites, and the large number of employees who are immigrants and whose native language is not English, the centers for disease control and prevention advised factories to strengthen disinfection, to have employees regularly tested, to keep employees at arm's length, and to provide employees with training materials in their native language.

The food and commercial workers' union has called for tougher measures than the recommendations, including requiring workers to stand about two metres apart on production lines. The group, which represents the vast majority of U.S. pork and beef processing workers and about a third of poultry workers, called on state governors to help implement safety procedures.