Outbreaks of COVID-19 have struck nine industrial facilities in Vernon, including five meatpacking plants, Los Angeles County health officials said Sunday.
Between five and 24 employees at each of the facilities tested positive, county data show, although it wasn’t clear when those numbers were last updated. By the county’s standards, an outbreak has occurred when five or more workers have contracted the novel coronavirus.Though Vernon has just a few dozen residents and is almost exclusively industrial, workers who have contracted the virus in the city just south of Los Angeles could spread it in their own communities, the county warned.
“It’s been very concerning to see these numbers come in,” said Agyin of the outbreaks. “If everyone isn’t following the guidelines that have been given by the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention], it makes everybody’s work a lot more difficult.”In a statement, Smithfield Foods said its workers are “crucial to our nation’s response to COVID-19.”
The company said it has boosted its supply of masks and face shields, installed Plexiglas barriers on the production floor and in break areas and implemented mass temperature scanning systems to screen workers.Employees are offered free testing for the novel coronavirus and paid quarantine time, and are told not to report to work if they are sick, Smithfield said.
They will need to close it and start a comprehensive virus testing process to ensure the safety of the workers before reopening.
Sit back and spend a pandemic with us...
What is it with these meat plants? The type person working here has little hygiene and doesn’t adhere to social distancing or something else?
Yuck.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: latimes - 🏆 11. / 82 Read more »
Source: latimes - 🏆 11. / 82 Read more »
Source: latimes - 🏆 11. / 82 Read more »
Source: ABC - 🏆 471. / 51 Read more »