Brooks braces for spike in virus cases
By Medicine Hat News on April 16, 2020.
Brooks is bracing for a “distressing increase” in the number of COVID-19 cases in that city, according to a release from city officials on Thursday afternoon, and that includes several at the JBS meat packing plant. Earlier this week, a map provided by Alberta Health which tracks cases and locations, showed an initial case had been reported in Brooks, but that was disputed by other reports. City officials stated Thursday that they expected a notable increase in cases that would include five at the major packing plant and one in a long-term care facility. Major food processing facilities came into sharp focus this week as the union representing workers at the Cargill beef plant in High River called for a pause in production there to get cases there under control. The company responded by originally announcing a slowdown and layoffs, but has now halted all slaughtering temporarily, but will continue producing beef cuts. During her afternoon update, Dr. Deena Hinshaw said that in particular to the Cargill Plant, that Alberta Health Services personnel had been in contact with plant officials, where the production line had been slowed and space between workers increased. “Everything that needs to be done to protect people … at food processing facilities is being done,” Hinshaw said. JBS has made no public statement about its operations or COVID response plan. The United Food and Commercial Workers, which represents 2,000 workers in Brooks, sent letters to all its employers in late March calling for details of plans, guaranteed sick pay to keep ill workers home, and in some cases increased pay. The Canadian Cattlemen’s Association has called on the Federal government to provide aid package to ranchers and others in the beef industry to account for higher feed costs of keeping cattle longer than expected. 10-9
