24 workers at Vancouver fruit plant have coronavirus

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

VANCOUVER, Wash. (AP) — Two dozen employees at a Vancouver, Washington, food processing company have been sickened with the coronavirus, officials said.

It may be the Portland area’s biggest workplace outbreak reported thus far, excluding the health care sector, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Firestone Pacific Foods CEO Josh Hinerfeld said the company had its first confirmed case midday Sunday and learned of two more later that afternoon. The Vancouver plant shut down Monday but the infection total has grown. Firestone employs 150 people altogether, according to Hinerfeld.

Food processing facilities have emerged as a major source of infection across the country. There have been workplace outbreaks in Astoria and Albany in Oregon, in eastern Washington near the Tri-Cities and at plants near Boise and in Weiser, Idaho.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/24-workers-at-vancouver-fruit-plant-have-coronavirus/ar-BB14tx5M

[captain queeg]

1. I'm starting to wonder if refrigerated spaces are a factor

I know these places have cramped work places, like the meat plants. I was thinking maybe in the meat plants it’s the high humidity. On the kill floor side the air is always saturated. But in the packing part it’s cold, like a fruit processing plant. I’ve never heard what the breakdown is at meat plants but now I’m starting to think it’s the workers in the refrigerated areas.