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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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