NC officials won’t say whether they’ll release data on coronavirus cases at meat plants
As an increasing number of workers at meat processing plants across the state become infected with COVID-19, state officials won’t say whether it will release data on where those outbreaks have occurred.
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services secretary Dr. Mandy Cohen was asked three times in a press briefing Wednesday whether the state will release data about infected workers at meat processing plants. The first two times she didn’t directly answer those questions and instead talked about how the state was supporting workers at those plants in regards to the coronavirus.
When a reporter followed up a third time and asked if the state has data on those cases and if so why it won’t make it public, Cohen said only one state distributes that kind of information.
“But I hear you. Everyone wants more and more information, so stay tuned for more information about that,” she said.
DHHS releases data on congregate living facilities and where those outbreaks have occurred on its website. However, it does not list where outbreaks at meat processing and poultry plants have occurred.
The News & Observer has requested public records from the state’s DHHS on this issue.
NC Health News reported that as of Tuesday morning, there were 899 confirmed cases in 20 outbreaks at plants in counties across the state.
The N&O as of Wednesday has identified at least 13 outbreaks at plants across the state, including Smithfield Foods in Bladen County, Mountaire Farms in Chatham County, and a Butterball plant in Duplin County.
Reporters Tammy Grubb and Aaron Sanchez-Guerra contributed to this report.
This story was originally published May 6, 2020 at 5:16 PM with the headline "NC officials won’t say whether they’ll release data on coronavirus cases at meat plants."
