Covid-19 cases, deaths among meatpacking workers three times worse than thought
![](https://fernnews.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/themes/fern-sage-8/dist/images/chuck-abbott-illustration-5ce8c26c0a96bdf9f3018bec15f0f0a1.jpg)
Five large meatpackers fell staggeringly short of their duty to protect their workers during the pandemic, with at least 269 deaths and at least 59,000 infections from Covid-19 among their employees — roughly three times more than thought — said Rep. James Clyburn, chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis on Wednesday. (No paywall)
House committee to investigate meatpacking plant outbreaks
![](https://fernnews.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/themes/fern-sage-8/dist/images/leah_douglas_illus-eb8ac4708182472efb209a2448d1c716.jpg)
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis launched an investigation Monday into the spread of Covid-19 at meatpacking plants during the course of the pandemic. The committee sent letters to the country's top meatpackers — JBS, Smithfield Foods and Tyson Foods — as well as to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), requesting scores of information on the entities' management of the spread of the virus among meatpacking workers, with a response deadline of Feb. 15.(No paywall)