Smithfield Foods should implement stronger measures to control the spread of the COVID-19 among its employees, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC is recommending that the plant implement measures to reduce crowding, especially in the breakrooms, locker rooms and cafeterias; increase the use of personal protective equipment; provide more flexible sick leave policies; and begin screening everyone entering the plant for COVID-19.

Smithfield confirmed it received the CDC's report on Thursday, but declined to comment on implementing the recommendations or a discussing a timeline for potentially reopening the plant.

"We will thoroughly and carefully examine the report point by point and respond in full once our assessment is complete," said Keira Lombardo, executive vice president of corporate affairs and compliance at Smithfield Foods.

The CDC compiled the 15-page report after a team toured Smithfield with city and state officials on April 16. They also spoke with Smithfield plant management and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union local president. The state requested assistance from the federal agency to address the virus's spread.

The majority of the report is dedicated to recommendations for Smithfield moving forward, but it also details some of the ways CDC representatives observed the plant falling short in addressing COVID-19 spread. Those include placement of informational flyers, information only available in English, employees improperly using masks and failing to maintain social distancing.

No date set for plant reopening

Gov. Kristi Noem said Smithfield has been cooperating with the state Department of Health, CDC and U.S. Department of Agriculture. Noem didn't respond to a question about whether Smithfield was doing enough to slow the spread of COVID-19 in the plant prior to its closure.

Neither Smithfield or Noem gave a specific date for the plant's reopening on Thursday.

"I don't see any reason for there to be long delays and we're hoping to partner with them to open it as soon as possible," Noem said.

State epidemiologist Josh Clayton said the state won't be writing its own report on how the Smithfield cluster began in the first place because state officials view it as part of the overall pandemic in the state. Sioux Falls' peak of COVID-19 cases is now expected earlier, in mid-May, due to the Smithfield cases.

A COVID-19 case was first detected in a Smithfield employee on March 24, and the company closed its Sioux Falls plant indefinitely beginning April 15 after it became the largest hot spot of coronavirus cases in the country. When the company announced on April 12 that it was closing, 238 cases were connected to the plant.

That number has since ballooned to more than 1,000, as of Thursday, including 801 Smithfield employees and 206 people who tested positive after coming into contact with an employee, according to the South Dakota Department of Health. Noem has said the state has been "aggressively" testing people connected to Smithfield.

The story continues below.

Two Smithfield employees have died of the coronavirus. Augustín Rodriguez, 64, died on April 14 and had worked at Smithfield for nearly two decades. Craig Franken, 61, died on April 19 and worked at Smithfield for 40 years.

A look at preventative measures pre-closure

Prior to Smithfield's closure, the CDC was told by Smithfield that employees went through a screening process before coming into the plant. The ground seasoned pork department had its line speed reduced to accommodate fewer employees due to social distancing. About 800 plexiglass barriers were installed where social distancing wasn't possible, according to the report. The CDC observed that there were some hand sanitizer dispensers and limited handwashing stations.

The pork conversion department was placed on two weeks of paid sick leave before the plant shut down due to a high density of cases, according to the report. Smithfield was also offering a "responsibility bonus" of $500 to employees who didn't miss work time during the month of April. Smithfield told the CDC that coronavirus-related absences wouldn't affect an employee receiving the bonus, according to the report.

What Smithfield told CDC it planned to do

Smithfield told the CDC that had several changes it was planning to implement:

Develop standard operating procedures for infection prevention and control measures,

Increase the use of its app used to communicate with employees,

Complete the installation of plexiglass barriers,

Increase the number of hand sanitizer dispensers to 3,500,

Install at least 100 more time clocks to prevent bottlenecks,

Promote more informational messages about COVID-19 to employees,

Have designated staff provide hand sanitizer to line employees every 30 minutes,

Relax sick leave policies related to COVID-19 and eliminate premiums, copays and waiting periods for COVID-19 testing.

What the CDC says Smithfield should do

The CDC is recommending that everyone entering the plant be screened for COVID-19. Sick employees should be sent home immediately. Smithfield should also identify off-site housing for employees who have tested positive for COVID-19 and live in a household where they can't self-isolate, according to the report.

The CDC recommends that all employees should wear a face mask and a face shield in all areas of the plant. The company should also have replacement face masks if one becomes wet. A protocol should be developed to sanitize hard hats and face shields at the end of the shift, according to the CDC.

All truck drivers coming into the plant should be provided with a face mask and screened for COVID-19 symptoms, according to the report.

Contractors and federal meat inspectors should be encouraged or required to follow the face mask and face shield recommendations while in the building.

Smithfield should also install no-touch sinks, soap dispensers, sanitizer dispensers and paper town dispensers wherever possible, according to the CDC.

Social distancing

Employees in line workstations should be staggered instead of working directly across from each other, according to the CDC. Barriers between employees should be in addition to other measures such as social distancing, hand washing and personal protective equipment.

Smithfield should add visual cues, such as floor markings or signs, at six-foot intervals to encourage social distancing and reduce employee density in non-work areas, according to the report. One-way paths should be made through the facility to reduce contact between people in narrow hallways and stairwells.

To reduce crowding, the CDC is recommending different table configurations in the cafeterias, increased flexibility around shift start times and break times and alternate locker locations for employees to use. Outdoor break and lunch areas should be set up to reduce employee density in the indoor break rooms and cafeterias.

Sick leave policies

Smithfield needs to ensure it has flexible sick leave policies and ensure employees aren't penalized in any incentive programs if they take sick leave related to COVID-19, according to the CDC.

The company should also discontinue any policies requiring a positive COVID-19 test result or healthcare provider's note to qualify for sick leave.

Communication and training

Informational signs about COVID-19 posted around the building should be large and simple, and include more pictures and more languages. Screening information should be translated into other languages, according to the CDC.

Training and messaging about mitigation measures such as social distancing and hand hygiene should be developed in multiple languages, the report states.

Read the full report: