Meat plants—a new front line in the covid-19 pandemic
John Middleton, Ralf Reintjes, Henrique Lopes
Abstract
Slaughterhouses and meat packing plants have been a major risk for covid-19 infection throughout the pandemic. 1 2Now these outbreaks are centre stage. 3 They affect whole communities, have far reaching implications, and require intensive public health interventions.In Germany, public health authorities have been grappling with a huge covid-19 outbreak in Gütersloh, North Rhine-Westphalia.More than 1500 of 7000 workers tested positive for covid-19, and 640 000 residents of two affected counties were returned to lockdown conditions. 4At one of Portugal's biggest poultry slaughterhouses, at least 129 of the 300 workers contracted covid-19. 5The company was closed for a week; additional measures included screening all employees, providing new bathing areas, and strengthening disinfection.Outbreaks in England and Wales have been associated with meat processing in Anglesey, Merthyr Tydfil, Wrexham, and Kirklees.