Tom Polansek

CHICAGO, (Reuters) –Tyson Foods Inc removed a mandate to wear masks on Tuesday for employees who have been fully vaccinated at U.S. facilities. However, those working at meatpacking plants will need to continue to use masks.

In relaxing the mask requirements, this meat processor is joining major companies like Walmart (NYSE:), Amazon.com (NASDAQ.:)

Tyson explained that the policy is applicable to workers at facilities which are not under inspection by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service. This agency checks meatpacking plants that are a prime source of COVID-19 pandemic outbreaks.

Tyson spokeswoman Derek Burleson explained that maskless employees can be employed at U.S. Food and Drug Administration-inspected corporate offices, distribution centres, and certain production facilities.

Burleson indicated that the USDA will be working with Tyson to expand the policy to include workers at meatpacking facilities who have not been in touch with inspections. The policy doesn’t yet affect most Tyson employees, he said.

Burleson stated that USDA is currently working on the design of FSIS inspection facilities. We are working on expanding this program to other facilities.

USDA mandates that plant workers wear masks whenever federal inspectors visit facilities located in areas of “substantial” and “high” COVID-19 community transmission. Tyson’s situation was not addressed immediately by an agency spokesperson.

Tyson stated that it has relaxed its mask mandates due to lower rates of infection and low levels of serious illnesses among its employees. Last year, the company required that all employees be vaccinated.

COVID-19 was a serious threat to the U.S. meatpacking business at the beginning of the pandemic. It caused thousands of illnesses in workers and forced the closure of slaughterhouses. Plants were forced to reduce production when Omicron coronavirus strains rose again in January.

Tyson indicated that the company will provide additional masks to those employees who wish to wear them. It also plans to monitor new variants of coronavirus. It has reported that it spent $810 millions on preventive COVID-19 precautions.