JBS Australia has voluntarily suspended exports to China from the company’s Brooklyn (Victoria) beef and lamb plant.

The decision follows several positive cases of COVID-19 detected among staff in the past week, which has led to the plant’s closure, as Victoria weathers a major COVID relapse.

Reports in The Australian newspaper this morning suggesting JBS has suspended China exports from all of its Australian facilities are incorrect, the company told Beef Central this morning. The newspaper report and headline has since been amended. All other JBS abattoirs are exporting as normal, a spokesperson said.

JBS said it made a decision last week, supported by the Federal Department of Agriculture, to undertake a voluntary suspension of exports to China from JBS Brooklyn due to seeing the increase in positive COVID cases in Melbourne area.

“We are working through this process, working closely with the Victorian Department of Health, and based on test results and our extensive COVID plan, are looking to resume production as soon as possible,” a company spokesman said.