A USDA study indicates COVID avoidance measures taken by packing plants have had a positive impact. The study – from USDA’s Economic Research Service – shows new coronavirus cases in rural counties dependent on packing plants for employment are about the same as other rural counties. That is after a late April infection spike in packing plant-dependent counties that was about seven times higher than in non-meat packing counties.
The early spring jump in cases among packing plant workers resulted in the temporary closure of many plants to prevent COVID spread and to implement distancing protocols among workers.
