Meat processing facilities in North Carolina have seen coronavirus outbreaks among their workers, disrupting supply chains and causing concerns about meat shortages. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services told a North Carolina news collaborative on Tuesday that there are 2,146 cases in 28 outbreaks at meat processing facilities.
But the exact number of cases and the identity of plants that experienced the outbreaks remains unclear. NCDHHS does not require meatpacking facilities to disclose cases of COVID-19, relying instead on voluntary reporting that the department has been reluctant to share with the public. In a press briefing earlier this month, NCDHHS secretary Mandy Cohen told reporters to “stay tuned” for more information about these outbreaks.
WUNC’s data reporter Jason deBruyn is part of the statewide news collaborative that has been reaching out to the state and local health departments to get a clearer picture of the number of cases. Host Anita Rao talks with deBruyn about the why the data has not been released to the public and the implications this has for worker safety and the supply chain.