The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, chaired by Rep. James E. Clyburn, released a staff memorandum highlighting evidence that the number of coronavirus infections and deaths at meatpacking plants across the country is significantly higher than previously reported. The Subcommittee reviewed documents obtained from five of the largest meatpacking companies in the country (JBS USA Food Co., Tyson Foods Inc., Smithfield Foods, Cargill Meat Solutions Corp. and National Beef Packing Co. LLC). It reported that during the first year of the pandemic, at least 59,000 meat industry workers contracted the COVID-19 virus, and at least 269 of them died.
The Subcommittee reports that certain meatpacking plants saw particularly high rates of coronavirus infections during the first year of the pandemic. For example, 54.1 percent of the workforce at JBS’ Hyrum, Utah, plant contracted the coronavirus between March 2020 and February 2021, 49.8 percent of the workforce at Tyson’s Amarillo, Texas, plant contracted the coronavirus between March 2020 and February 2021, and 44.2 percent of the workforce at National Beef’s Tama, Iowa plant contracted the coronavirus between April 2020 and February 2021. The total number of coronavirus infections and deaths at these facilities may be even greater than these figures suggest, as the data provided to the Select Subcommittee in some instances excludes coronavirus cases confirmed by offsite testing or employee self-reported cases.