Cold, crowded, deadly: With thousands of workers sick from coronavirus, meat plants are closing and the food supply is faltering trib.al/mg1R6z3
In recent weeks, 115 meat and poultry plants have reported Covid-19 infections in the U.S., and about 5,000 workers, 1% of the industry’s workforce, have been confirmed sick, with 20 deaths, according to the CDC trib.al/mg1R6z3 
U.S. beef and pork production capacity shrank 40% in April, says Will Sawyer, lead economist at agricultural lender CoBank.
U.S. consumers, Sawyer predicts, could see 30% less meat in grocery stores by Memorial Day, at prices 20% higher than last year trib.al/mg1R6z3
U.S. consumers, Sawyer predicts, could see 30% less meat in grocery stores by Memorial Day, at prices 20% higher than last year trib.al/mg1R6z3
On March 25, Cargill worker Rafael Benjamin was ordered by a supervisor to remove his mask because it was creating unnecessary fears among plant employees.
Benjamin was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator weeks later. He died on April 19 trib.al/mg1R6z3
Benjamin was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator weeks later. He died on April 19 trib.al/mg1R6z3
This is footage of the men's locker room at a Cargill plant in High River, Canada, in the weeks before it was shut down to be cleaned and reconfigured.
The coronavirus spread quickly at meat plants in the U.S. and Canada in these close spaces trib.al/mg1R6z3
The coronavirus spread quickly at meat plants in the U.S. and Canada in these close spaces trib.al/mg1R6z3
