LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Gov. Pete Ricketts says he doesn’t plan to close any of Nebraska’s meatpacking plants despite a surge in coronavirus cases in their surrounding communities that have turned them into the state’s biggest hot spots.
Ricketts says he was concerned that shuttering the plants could hurt the state’s food supply and lead to “civil unrest” if residents suddenly lose access to meat.
His comments came as Dakota County, home to a Tyson plant, reported 133 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing its total to 246.