WINDOM, MINN. — Comfrey Farm Prime Pork LLC announced on April 21 that it would temporarily suspend operations at its Windom, Minn., pork processing plant due to the rapid progression of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in its area.

“When we discovered our first positive case of COVID-19 at the plant, we immediately activated Comfrey Farm Prime Pork’s COVID-19 response plan,” said Tom Seigfreid, chief financial officer. “We developed this comprehensive response plan in March; today’s closure is a part of that plan to make sure we are doing everything we can to prioritize the health and safety of our employees and our communities.”

Seigfreid said every employee would continue to receive pay and most will return on April 24. The company said that product availability might be affected during this time and production of some product will be tentatively suspended until the week of May 4.

Comfrey’s preventive measures during the week include providing health screenings for all employees. The company will conduct interviews with each employee to determine if they have COVID-19 symptoms or if they came in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Comfrey plans to transition to two cut shifts to increase physical plant distance. There will also be plant deep cleaning for two days.