January 17, 2021

Close to 90% of major US meat plants affected by COVID-19 among workers

A Reuters analysis of public data discovered that 90% of meat plants owned by Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, Smithfield Foods, and National Beef had been affected by COVID-19 cases among workers in 2020 and 2021, Reuters reported.

The data, taken from the U.S. House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, showed that meat plants were major spreaders of the COVID-19 virus among workers. The consequences of this investigation is unknown.

James Clyburn, subcommittee chair representative, said meatpacking companies must make changes and provide a safe working environment for their workers.

Data from the five major meatpackers in October last year showed there were 59,000 cases of COVID-19, with 269 deaths between March 2020 and 1 Feb 2021, three times higher than previous estimates.

Meat companies and union officials said recent infections from the Omicron variant are causing staffing issues at meat plants.

Gary Mickelson, a Tyson Foods' spokesman, said the company has spent US$810 million on COVID-19 preventative measures, which includes paid sick leave to vaccinated workers.

Jim Monroe, Smithfield Foods vice president of corporate affairs, said the company is providing protective equipment like face shields and installing sanitiser stations. He also called the Reuters analysis "misleading", adding that the reason for the high number of cases was because of widespread and frequent COVID-19 testing of workers.

-      Reuters