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        <title><![CDATA[Coronavirus cases surge in meat industry as plants restart]]></title>
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        <lastBuildDate>Tue, 26 May 2020 17:05:29 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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            <media:title type="html">Coronavirus cases surge in meat industry as plants restart</media:title>
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        <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Coronavirus infections have reportedly surged in the American meat industry as strained producers try to get back on their feet.</p><p><span >The number of COVID-19 cases linked to meat-processing giants Tyson Foods, Smithfield Foods and JBS has nearly quadrupled over the past month from about 3,000 to more than 11,000, </span><strong>a Washington Post analysis found</strong><span >.</span></p><p>The virus had killed at least 64 workers across the industry as of Tuesday, according to the <strong>Midwest Center for Investigative Reporting</strong>, which is using local news reports to track deaths. That&#8217;s more than triple the 20 fatalities the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <strong>recorded</strong> in April.</p><p>The reported spike came as meat producers worked to shore up the nation&#8217;s food supply chain by restarting plants that were shuttered by coronavirus outbreaks. Such shutdowns have <strong>led to shortages of beef, pork and chicken</strong> and <strong>forced farmers to euthanize</strong> animals.</p><p>More than half of the 30 plants closed by the virus have reopened over the past month amid President Trump&#8217;s <strong>April 28 executive order</strong> directing them to get up and running, according to the Washington Post.</p><p>But producers have reportedly drawn fire for shortchanging worker safety in the process despite their efforts to keep plants clean and prevent staffers from getting sick.</p><p>&#8220;We are raising hell because the numbers continue to rise,&#8221; Kim Cordova, a local union president in Greeley, Colorado, told the Washington Post. &#8220;People are scared to go to work because people keep getting sick. There are hundreds of workers who have not come back.&#8221;</p><p>Greeley is home to a beef plant run by Brazilian processor JBS, which told the paper that it&#8217;s made more than $100 million worth of safety enhancements at its facilities, from temperature checks to masks and face shields. Fellow producers Tyson and Smithfield also reportedly say they&#8217;ve taken big steps to protect workers.</p><p>&#8220;The safety of our team members is paramount, and we only reopen our facilities when we believe we can safely do so,&#8221; Gary Mickelson, director of media relations for Tyson, told the Washington Post.</p>]]></content:encoded>
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