Covid-19 forces Tönnies Group to close meatpacking facility in Germany

The Emsland regional authority in Germany said that meat processing company Tönnies Group reportedly received orders to shut its abattoir in the country due to Covid-19 outbreak.

The company received orders to close its Weidemark plant in Sogel in north Germany after more than 100 people working at the site tested Covid-19 positive.

Emsland authority asked the company to end slaughtering and complete packing prior to the closure initially for 22 days.

The news agency quoted Tönnies as saying that the company undertook a series of measures at the plant to prevent new infection in past days in close agreement with the Emsland authorities.

The company added that it regarded the order to shut the plant as ‘not proportionate’ and said it would take legal action.

At Weidemark plant, several measures were already in place, including wearing of high-grade FFP-2 protective masks by workers and testing them for coronavirus daily.

According to Tönnies, these steps were already having an effect.

In June, Tönnies’ meatpacking facility in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck closed for 30 days after nearly 1,500 workers tested positive for Covid-19.

The Covid-19 difficulties seem to be continuing for Germany’s meatpacking industry, reportedly blamed for the use of sub-contracting migrant workers from eastern Europe.

Additionally, the German government is planning to introduce a new bill, which will make it mandatory for the meatpackers to employ staff directly in industrial abattoirs, rather than sub-contracting.

Covid-19 allegedly forced many meatpacking industries in the country to review working systems amid global concern over airborne transmission risks.

Last September, Tönnies Group signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with West Hope Group subsidiary Dekon Group to build a slaughter and butchering centre in the Sichuan province in China.