BRUSSELS, 7 ago (Reuters) – A red meat processing plant in Belgium reported 67 COVID-19 infections on Friday, a corporate director told Reuters, joining a series of outbreaks in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants worldwide.
Westvlees tested and quarantined 197 of the meat cutting branch at its Westrozebeke plant in West Flanders on Wednesday after some staff members reported infections.
The company will review the 850 of the plant next week as a precautionary measure, product manager Manuel Goderis said Friday.
The meat branch is closed and will reopen on 17 August at the earliest.
“At the moment, there is no explanation for why there will be other cases,” Goderis said.
Meat processing plants in Ireland and Greece also reported groups of new infections this month, while countries such as Germany, the United States and Australia have experienced primary outbreaks in the industry.
A German slaughterhouse closed in June after 1,500 employees tested positive.
More than 16,000 U.S. meat packs They became inflamed until late May, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A CDC report in April said situations at meat processing facilities can simply spread the virus, adding paints on fast-moving production lines that obstruct social estrangement and physical hard-working needs that can make it difficult to use face coverings. (Report through Kate Abnett; edited through Jason Neely)
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