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Volume 27, Number 1—January 2021
Dispatch

Coronavirus Disease among Workers in Food Processing, Food Manufacturing, and Agriculture Workplaces

Michelle A. WaltenburgComments to Author , Charles E. Rose, Tristan Victoroff, Marilee Butterfield, Jennifer A. Dillaha, Amy Heinzerling, Meagan Chuey, Maria Fierro, Rachel H. Jervis, Kristen M. Fedak, Andrea Leapley, Julie A. Gabel, Amanda Feldpausch, Eileen M. Dunne, Connie Austin, Caitlin S. Pedati, Farah S. Ahmed, Sheri Tubach, Charles Rhea, Julius Tonzel, Anna Krueger, David A. Crum, Johanna Vostok, Michael J. Moore, Hannah Kempher, Joni Scheftel, George Turabelidze, Derry Stover, Matthew Donahue, Deepam Thomas, Karen Edge, Bernadette Gutierrez, Erica Berl, Meagan McLafferty, Kelly E. Kline, Nichole Martz, James C. Rajotte, Ernest Julian, Abdoulaye Diedhiou, Rachel Radcliffe, Joshua L. Clayton, Dustin Ortbahn, Jason Cummins, Bree Barbeau, Stacy Carpenter, Julia C. Pringle, Julia Murphy, Brandy Darby, Nicholas R. Graff, Tia K.H. Dostal, Ian W. Pray, Courtney Tillman, Dale A. Rose, Margaret A. Honein, and CDC COVID-19 Emergency Response Team
Author affiliations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (M.A. Waltenburg, C.E. Rose, T. Victoroff, M. Chuey, E.M. Dunne, M. Donahue, J.C. Pringle, I.W. Pray, D.A. Rose, M.A. Honein); Arizona Department of Health Services, Phoenix, Arizona, USA (M. Butterfield); Arkansas Department of Health, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA (J.A. Dillaha); California Department of Public Health, Richmond, California, USA (A. Heinzerling); County of San Diego Health and Human Services Agency, San Diego, California, USA (M. Chuey); Imperial County Public Health Department, El Centro, California, USA (M. Fierro); Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Denver, Colorado, USA (R.H. Jervis, K.M. Fedak); Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, Florida, USA (A. Leapley); Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta (J.A. Gabel, A. Feldpausch); Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, Boise, Idaho, USA (E.M. Dunne); Illinois Department of Public Health, Springfield, Illinois, USA (C. Austin); Iowa Department of Public Health, Des Moines, Iowa, USA (C.S. Pedati); Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Topeka, Kansas, USA (F.S. Ahmed, S. Tubach); Kentucky Department for Public Health, Frankfort, Kentucky, USA (C. Rhea); Louisiana Department of Health, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA (J. Tonzel); Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Augusta, Maine, USA (A. Krueger); Maryland Department of Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA (D.A. Crum); Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA (J. Vostok, M.J. Moore); Minnesota Department of Health, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA (H. Kempher, J. Scheftel); Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, Jefferson City, Missouri, USA (G. Turabelidze); Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA (D. Stover, M. Donahue); New Jersey Department of Health, Trenton, New Jersey, USA (D. Thomas); New Mexico Department of Health, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA (K. Edge, B. Gutierrez); North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA (E. Berl); Oregon Health Authority, Portland, Oregon, USA (M. McLafferty); Pennsylvania Department of Health, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, USA (K.E. Kline); Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Harrisburg (N. Martz); Rhode Island Department of Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA (J.C. Rajotte, E. Julian); South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, Columbia, South Carolina, USA (A. Diedhiou, R. Radcliffe); South Dakota Department of Health, Pierre, South Dakota, USA (J.L. Clayton, D. Ortbahn); Tennessee Department of Health, Nashville, Tennessee, USA (J. Cummins); Utah Department of Health, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA (B. Barbeau); Vermont Department of Public Health, Burlington, Vermont, USA (S. Carpenter, J.C. Pringle); Virginia Department of Health, Richmond, Virginia, USA (J. Murphy, B. Darby); Washington State Department of Health, Shoreline, Washington, USA (N.R. Graff, T.K.H. Dostal); Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Madison, Wisconsin, USA (I.W. Pray); Wyoming Department of Health, Cheyenne, Wyoming, USA (C. Tillman)

Main Article

Table 1

Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 among workers in food manufacturing and agriculture workplaces in 30 US states, March 1–May 31, 2020*

State† Type of food manufactured or farmed No. workplaces affected No. workers in affected workplaces Confirmed COVID-19 cases among workers, no. (%) COVID-19–related deaths, no. (%) ‡
Arkansas
 Various
 14
 NA
 68 (–)
 1 (1.5)
California§
 Fruits, vegetables, dairy, packaged foods, frozen foods, seafood, other
 30
 NA
 518 (–)
 2 (0.4)
Colorado
 Vegetables, dairy, baked goods, packaged foods, other
 19
 5,773
 443 (7.7)
 3 (0.7)
Florida
 Vegetables, fruits, spices, other
 10
 NA
 280 (–)
 2 (0.7)
Georgia
 Blueberry, seasonal fruits, other
 6
 728
 268 (36.8)
 0
Idaho
 Vegetables
 3
 559
 100 (17.9)
 0
Illinois
 Fruits, dairy, pizza, packaged foods, other
 61
 NA
 987 (–)
 6 (0.6)
Iowa
 Eggs, dairy, other
 9
 1870
 391 (20.9)
 2 (0.5)
Kansas
 Baked goods, fruits, dairy, seasonings, other
 13
 NA
 140 (–)
 0
Kentucky
 Baked goods, jelly, salad dressing, other
 8
 NA
 53 (–)
 1 (1.9)
Louisiana
 Seafood, dairy
 5
 607
 264 (43.5)
 0
Maine
 Seafood
 1
 65
 15 (23.1)
 0
Massachusetts
 Seafood, baked goods, other
 173
 NA
 859 (–)
 4 (0.5)
Minnesota
 Fruits, vegetables, baked goods, packaged foods, frozen foods, other
 36
 9,829
 434 (4.4)
 4 (0.9)
Missouri
 Prepared foods, cereal, corn
 4
 2,180
 144 (6.6)
 1 (0.7)
Nebraska
 Eggs, milk products, baked goods, frozen foods, other
 14
 3,348
 123 (3.7)
 0
New Jersey
 Produce
 3
 515
 93 (18.1)
 2 (2.2)
North Carolina¶
 Fruits, vegetables, packaged foods
 16
 NA
 302 (–)
 2 (0.7)
Oregon
 Vegetables, fruits, frozen foods, packaged foods, other
 22
 4,579
 211 (4.6)
 3 (1.4)
Pennsylvania
 Seafood, mushrooms, apples, cheese, eggs, other
 91
 NA
 968 (–)
 6 (0.6)
Rhode Island
 Seafood, apples, cheese, eggs, other
 75
 NA
 346 (–)
 13 (3.8)
South Carolina
 Vegetables, fruits, pasta, canned foods, frozen foods, other
 11
 NA
 22 (–)
 0
South Dakota
 Cheese
 1
 200
 7 (3.5)
 0
Tennessee
 Vegetables, fruits, other
 6
 NA
 323 (–)
 1 (0.3)
Utah
 Cherries, dairy, baked goods, candy, other
 19
 NA
 186 (–)
 0
Vermont
 Cheese
 1
 300
 6 (2.0)
 0
Virginia
 Eggs
 1
 50
 4 (8.0)
 0
Washington
 Seafood, mushrooms, vegetables, fruits, pasta, frozen foods
 37
 NA
 755 (–)
 1 (0.1)
Wisconsin
 Vegetables, dairy, pizza, baked goods, other
 52
 NA
 667 (–)
 1 (0.1)
Wyoming
 Other
 1
 6
 1 (16.7)
 0
Total Various 742 30,609# 8,978 55

*COVID-19, coronavirus disease; NA, not available; –, percentage not calculated due to missing data.
†Arizona, Maryland, Montana, New Hampshire, New Mexico, and North Dakota reported no cases of COVID-19 among workers in food manufacturing and agriculture workplaces.
‡Percentage of deaths among cases.
§Data from 7 California counties.
¶Reported cases are among workers and close contacts of workers.
#Among 15 of 30 states that reported the number of workers in affected workplaces, 8.2% of 30,609 workers received COVID-19 diagnoses.

Main Article

Page created: October 13, 2020
Page updated: December 21, 2020
Page reviewed: December 21, 2020
The conclusions, findings, and opinions expressed by authors contributing to this journal do not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Public Health Service, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the authors' affiliated institutions. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by any of the groups named above.
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