North Carolina health officials didn't publish a list of the number of COVID-19 cases by specific meat processing facilities after local officials feared ‘pushback’ from the industry. | Stock photo
North Carolina health officials didn't publish a list of the number of COVID-19 cases by specific meat processing facilities after local officials feared ‘pushback’ from the industry. | Stock photo
North Carolina health officials backed off from publishing a list COVID-19 outbreaks at meat-processing facilities after local officials expressed concern over “pushback” from the companies.
That is the case, according to an investigation by NC Watchdog Reporting Network published by WBTV 3 on Aug. 11.
The state had begun publishing a similar list for nursing homes and floated the idea to county health officials about doing to the same thing for meat processing plants, NC Watchdog's investigation reported.
The report alleged that emails it received suggested concern from local health leaders about meat-processing plants not providing information about COVID-19 cases.
Dr. Mandy Cohen, the state's Secretary of the Health and Human Services, defended her decision not to list COVID-19 outbreaks by facility. She said her department had to find “common ground” with private industry because it lacks regulatory authority.
However, advocates for workers in meat processing plants said the list should have been published.
“Why should we know in a senior home how many people are infected and we cannot know in a plant?” said Ilana Dubester, director of El Vinculo Hispano/The Hispanic Liaison. “They’re risking their lives to cut up chicken and it’s not fair that somebody should withhold that information – that the county should withhold this information, that the state should withhold this information.”
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