KANE COUNTY – A worker at the St. Charles Smithfield Foods plant has died from COVID-19, according to a news release from the Kane County Health Department.

No information about the age or gender of the worker was provided.

The health department ordered the plant to close on April 24 due to concerns about the virus, and the facility voluntarily shut down on April 25.

Kane County Health Department staff, along with representatives from the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Illinois Attorney General's Office, have met with Smithfield Foods officials to review mitigation efforts and to provide recommendations about social distancing and personal protective equipment.

“We are saddened to learn of the death of a worker from the Smithfield plant in St. Charles,” stated Kane County Health Department Executive Director Barbara Jeffers. “The Kane County Health Department extends our condolences to the family. We are continuing our investigation at the facility to assure worker safety when the plant re-opens.”

The release states that the facility is not accepting any new raw food products for processing at the plant during the closure.

Limited operations began at the plant on Thursday, after implementing additional worker safety measures, to safely package and ship currently existing product, which had been in production at the time the closure order was issued, the release stated.

In order to fully re-open, the facility will develop a comprehensive plan to control infectious disease in accordance with CDC and IDPH guidance, which will be submitted to the Kane County Health Department, the release stated.

Smithfield has additionally agreed to pay to have every employee at the facility tested for COVID-19. The re-opening date of the facility remains undetermined.

For additional information and current updates on the COVID-19 situation, visit the KCHD website at KaneHealth.com or call the health department at 630-208-3801.