 The United Food and Commercial Workers Union used the report in its appeals to consumers and civil rights groups during its dispute with Smithfield.In mid-April 2020 the Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota became a "hotspot" for the COVID-19 pandemic, with 300 of the plant's 3,700 employees testing positive for the disease.On April 12 the company announced the indefinite closure of the plant, which processes 4 to 5 percent of the pork products in the United States.