Coronavirus Cases Are Breaking Out In Meat Processing Plants — But How Many Remains Unclear

WUNC News | By Anita Rao,

Published May 28, 2020 at 11:55 AM EDT

Meat processing facilities have been a source of coronavirus outbreaks in North Carolina. But the number of cases and the facilities they have occurred in remains uncertain.

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.

Host Anita Rao and WUNC's data reporter Jason deBruyn discuss what we do and don't know about outbreaks in North Carolina's 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.

Anita Rao

Anita Rao is the host and creator of "Embodied," a live, weekly radio show and seasonal podcast about sex, relationships & health. She's also the managing editor of WUNC's on-demand content. She has traveled the country recording interviews for the Peabody Award-winning StoryCorps production department, founded and launched a podcast about millennial feminism in the South, and served as the managing editor and regular host of "The State of Things," North Carolina Public Radio's flagship daily, live talk show. Anita was born in a small coal-mining town in Northeast England but spent most of her life growing up in Iowa and has a fond affection for the Midwest.

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Kaia Findlay

Kaia Findlay is a producer for The State of Things, WUNC's daily, live talk show. Kaia grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in a household filled with teachers and storytellers. In elementary school, she usually fell asleep listening to recordings of 1950s radio comedy programs. After a semester of writing for her high school newspaper, she decided she hated journalism. While pursuing her bachelor’s in environmental studies at UNC-Chapel Hill, she got talked back into it. Kaia received a master’s degree from the UNC Hussman School of Journalism, where she focused on reporting and science communication. She has published stories with Our State Magazine, Indy Week, and HuffPost. She most recently worked as the manager for a podcast on environmental sustainability and higher education. Her reporting passions include climate and the environment, health and science, food and women’s issues. When not working at WUNC, Kaia goes pebble-wrestling, takes long bike rides, and reads while hammocking.

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