Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts says meatpacking plants need to stay open in the state, predicting there would be "civil unrest" because the nation's food supply would be jeopardized.
"Can you imagine what would happen if people could not go to the store and get food," Ricketts says. "Think about how mad people were when they couldn't get paper products. Think about it if they can't get food."
In the wake of coronavirus outbreaks that have impacted meatpacking plants in Grand Island, Dakota City and Lexington Ricketts says they are working with them to make sure all precautions are being taken to prevent the spread of the virus
Plants have been shut down in the neighboring states of South Dakota and Iowa, but Ricketts said yesterday he doesn't foresee asking for closures in Nebraska.