WEST LIBERTY, Iowa - West Liberty Foods announced it has 52 COVID-19/coronavirus cases at its West Liberty location, and two at its Bolingbrook location. No cases have been reported at its Mount Pleasant, Tremonton, or Liberty Cold plants.
There's speculation that the virus could have spread to the West Liberty plant from workers who mingled with workers at the Tyson meat processing plant in Columbus Junction, where one of the largest outbreaks in the country has taken place.
Columbus Junction in Louisa County is less than 30 miles from West Liberty.
The number of COVID-19 cases in Iowa has sharply increased in recent days as intense testing is being conducted at meat processing plants across the state reporting outbreaks of some positive cases.