El Milagro worker dies from COVID-19, plant temporarily closes
Company's corn tortilla output to fall by 75 percent
El Milagro has closed its tortilla plant in Chicago, on the Lower West Side, for two weeks, to sanitize the plant, after a worker died and other workers have tested positive for the coronavirus.
The employee who died from COVID-19 had not been at work since April 9. The company wrote a letter to employees over the weekend, and said they were recently notified about the employees death.
Four other workers have shown symptoms of COVID-19 and two workers at the facility were officially diagnosed with it.
An outside janitorial business has been hired to sanitize and deep-clean the plant, and employees who were scheduled to work during the times that the facility is closed will still be paid for 40 hours a week, said the company.
The facility will be closed through May 9.
Source: "El Milagro temporarily closes plant for cleaning after worker’s COVID-19 death; company’s corn tortilla output to fall 75%," Chicago Tribune, 4/29/20.
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