SÃO PAULO – Marfrig Global Foods, the majority owner of National Beef Co., announced that it started to test all 18,000 employees in Brazil on June 2.

The company said the commitment was made official in an agreement with the Federal Public Ministry of Labor in Brazil. Marfrig will hold testing at 12 production facilities around the country starting with the Vareza Grande unit, which employs 3,000 people.

The settlement signed by the company has extended protective measures for workers.

According to a Reuters report, Brazilian prosecutors said that Marfrig must now routinely test workers for COVID-19 and impose mandatory physical distancing of 1.5 meters (5 feet) between workers at all plants.

Marfrig’s statement said it put the social distancing measures into place in March.

The company also said its facilities are cleaned and disinfected periodically and approximately 10 tons of alcohol gel is being used for personal hygiene of employees and their families per month.