Prognosis
CDC Cites Limited Distancing at Meat Plants With Thousands Sick
- Unions warned meat companies failed to protect employees
- Concerns escalate on Trump’s order to reopen slaughterhouses
Butchers place pork ribs on a conveyor belt at a pork processing facility in 2017.
Photographer: Daniel Acker/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
Conditions at U.S. meat plants contributed to increased risk of coronavirus infections, and ultimately more than 4,900 workers fell ill, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The agency cited difficulty maintaining social distancing and adhering to the heightened cleaning and disinfection guidance among the factors that increased risks for workers. There were 20 deaths among employees as the virus spread to 115 meat plants across 19 states, the CDC said in a report Friday, citing data covering April 9‒27.