Hundreds of Georgia's poultry workers have tested positive for COVID-19

[riversedge]

Hundreds of Georgia’s poultry workers have tested positive for COVID-19



AJC EXCLUSIVE April 29, 2020


One Cornelia chicken plant worker died from his illness this month

Nearly 400 workers in Georgia’s prized poultry industry have tested positive for the disease caused by the coronavirus, and one has died from his illness, according to Georgia Department of Public Health statistics obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The 388 workers who have been sickened by COVID-19 represent about 2% of the estimated 16,500 people employed at 14 chicken processing plants across the state.

Obtained from hospitals and poultry plants, the data do not identify the workers or say where they contracted COVID-19. But the head of Baldwin-based Fieldale Farms said a 63-year-old Hispanic man with “other health issues” who worked at the company’s chicken plant in Cornelia died from the disease this month. Many immigrants and refugees work in the state’s poultry industry.

“The biggest challenge for these employees is the community widespread transmission in the areas where they live, the lack of education about COVID-19, and reluctance to change behaviors,” said Georgia Public Health spokeswoman Nancy Nydam, adding that her agency has received many anecdotal reports of people attending large social gatherings, house parties and religious services...................................

[Bernardo de La Paz]

1. It's all about cutting off unemployment payments & killing small biz in favour of big chains and 1%

[Squinch]

2. Georgia is in big trouble. That virus is going to blow up there.