Trump orders American meat plants to stay open despite concerns of Coronavirus within plants

Despite wide ranging concerns of contamination due to the Coronavirus, Donald Trump has ordered all U.S based meat processing plants to remain open. On Tuesday, Trump signed an executive order that otherwise bars those plants from closing due to their essential status.

The AP reports that Trump did so using the Defense Production Act. The DPA mandates that under that law essential services or businesses must remain open. However, as noted by the AP, at least three dozen plant workers across the U.S have died — and thousands are believed to be sick.