Local lockdowns imposed after abattoir outbreaks

Concerns are growing about outbreaks of coronavirus in meatpacking plants and abattoirs. The UK has seen three recent outbreaks in Anglesey, Wrexham, and Cleckheaton, with 150 cases identified in Anglesey alone.

A large outbreak has also been reported in Germany, where over 1,500 of 7,000 workers at a giant plant in Guetersloh have tested positive. Spain, the US, and France have also seen outbreaks in meat processing plants over the past few months.

The problem is the working environment. Meat processing factories and slaughterhouses are enclosed spaces that are cold, damp, and dark. As a result, exhaled or coughed up droplets containing the virus are more likely to spread, settle, and remain infectious. The strenuous nature of the work makes for heavy breathing, producing more droplets; raised voices as the result of loud machinery might also contribute here.

Social distancing is difficult to maintain. The speed of the production lines means workers move about, coming into contact with one other. The fact that low-paid workers at meat plants also often live in communal barracks, and commute in together, further undermines the possibility of social distancing.

Finally, many of the workers are migrants who often aren’t entirely fluent in the local language and have limited access to sick pay. This may increase reluctance to report infection for fear of losing pay while self-isolating , and those that do self-isolate may have difficulty doing so.

So what happens next? In a bid to stop the spread of the virus outside plants German authorities have already reinstated a lockdown in Guetersloh. A local lockdown is also being contemplated for Anglesey. Within the plants themselves UK government has updated existing guidelines on how to work safely in meat plants during the pandemic. But the only new recommendations are to encourage the use of face coverings when possible, and to reiterate that infected staff must self-isolate and that the workforce has to be aware of this.

Other countries have adopted more comprehensive measures. Germany has banned the outsourcing of abattoir staff so as to better keep track of them. Meanwhile in the US, outbreaks in some plants have been stamped out by comprehensive testing regimes. The US Centre for Disease Control has also issued recommendations which include slowing productions lines, physical barriers between workers, and ensuring that self-isolating workers don’t lose any income.

Thankfully these outbreaks need not cause too much concern among the wider population, for the moment. While some local lockdowns are possible, the outbreaks are mainly confined to the workers employed in these meat processing plants, and should not spread further if properly contained.

The outbreaks do not pose a serious food safety threat. The Food Standards Agency has stated that it is “very unlikely” someone could catch coronavirus from eating a piece of food. For those who are still worried, cooking food should kill the virus.