Brown County coronavirus cases explode to 292, with clusters tied to meatpacking plants in Green Bay

[riversedge]

Source: Green Bay Press-Gazette





Brown County coronavirus cases explode to 292, with clusters tied to meatpacking plants in Green Bay area


Published 1:21 p.m. CT April 20, 2020 | Updated 5:00 p.m. CT April 20, 2020



GREEN BAY - Brown County officials are investigating a cluster of coronavirus infections linked to an east-side meatpacking plant after the county's total number of confirmed cases climbed to nearly 300 over the weekend.

The county on Monday reported 292 cases, an increase of 119 since Friday, along with five in the Oneida Nation. Half the new cases reported in Wisconsin since Sunday involve Brown County residents.

The weekend surge came after Brown County officials called in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to help investigate an explosion of cases in the Green Bay area.

Twenty-two people are hospitalized with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, said Ted Shove, an environmental health manager for Brown County.

The recent spike includes a cluster of cases at the JBS Packerland meatpacking facility at 1330 Lime Kiln Road, Shove said. The number of cases from the plant is unknown. Shove said the CDC will assist with contact tracing to determine how many people were infected.

The county also confirmed coronavirus cases at American Foods Group in Green Bay and Salm Partners in Denmark, but Shove said those meat-processing companies have not seen as many as JBS. The CDC has indicated there is a low risk of contracting the virus through food products or packaging that are shipped at room or cold temperatures.

Statewide, nearly 4,500 people have tested positive for the virus; 230 have died.

Read more: https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2020/04/20/green-bay-coronavirus-jbs-packing-american-foods-employees-infected/5165369002/

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I think this is the 3rd JBS plant affected in the Midwest--not sure.





JBS beef plant is pictured on April 17, 2020, in Green Bay. (Photo: Sarah Kloepping/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin)
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[msongs]

1. saw this plant on rachel nt

[riversedge]

2. great. glad she is covering it. I will catch her show later.

[Wellstone ruled]

3. Packerland was the orginal

sponsors of the Green Bay Packers way back when . American foods is a real slime ball operation. Their specialty in Veal Calf Slaughtering and one of their subsidiaries does Mickey D's hamburger patties.

[stillcool]

4. "the CDC has 'indicated' there is a low risk

of contacting the virus through food products" That is so reassuring. I'm sure the owners of the meatpacking plants are relieved as well. Yum.