Article by Samantha Artiga and Matthew Rae. Henry J Kaiser Family Foundation.
June 3, 2020.
The federal government has deemed workers in the food and agricultural sector part of the essential critical infrastructure workforce. Moreover, under recent a Presidential Executive Order, meat and poultry processing plants must continue operations to prevent disruption in the food supply chain. Workers in these industries face risk for coronavirus exposure due to their continued work outside the home, with many facing increased risks due to close quarters in their working environment. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other analysis have identified coronavirus outbreaks in meatpacking facilities. This data note analyzes key characteristics of food production workers to provide insight into who these risks affect and the health and financial implications of the COVID-19 outbreak for these workers and their communities.
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