The number of coronavirus cases continues to rise at meatpacking plants across the country in the month since Donald Trump signed an executive order forcing plants to reopen.
On April 28, when Trump issued the order, the number of cases stood at roughly 4,000, according to data compiled by the nonprofit Food and Environment Reporting Network. On Friday, the organization reported that at least 20,033 meatpacking workers had confirmed coronavirus cases — a four-fold increase in a month. At least 70 of those workers have died from the pandemic.
Meatpacking plants continue to be virus hotspots. An analysis published on Thursday found that rural counties that include meatpacking plants experience COVID-19 outbreaks have coronavirus infection rates that are five times higher than the average for all rural communities. Continue reading.