Over 20 Idaho beef plant workers sickened with coronavirus
KUNA, Idaho (AP) — Central District Health officials say at least 23 employees at a beef processing plant near Boise, Idaho, have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Health district spokesperson Christine Myron told The Idaho Statesman that one additional employee at the facility in Kuna is presumed to have the virus and two other contract employees have tested positive. She says the majority of the employees have recovered.
CS Beef Packers plant manager Steve Cherry says the facility remains open with enhanced cleaning and sanitation programs and protective gear for all workers.
Cherry said all employees have been provided masks, face shields and outside seating options to allow for social distancing during breaks. The plant is also conducting temperature and health screenings of all employees reporting for work, he said.
Two other food processing companies within the same district have reported clusters of illnesses among employees. Myron said there are no ongoing clusters or concerns within those two facilities.
Thousands of workers in meatpacking plants and food processing companies across the country have contracted the coronavirus. Last week, President Donald Trump ordered the country’s meatpacking plants to remain open to protect the country’s food supply.
More than 2,200 people in Idaho have tested positive for the virus and at least 67 have died. The virus causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients, and the vast majority recover. But it is highly contagious and can cause severe illness and death in some patients, particularly the elderly and those with underlying health conditions.
