Perdue chicken processing plant (File photo courtesy of Perdue Farms)
The outbreak of COVID-19 infections among Delmarva poultry workers could threaten not only the tri-state area but also the nation’s food supply chain, Gov. Larry Hogan said Wednesday.
There are at least 262 confirmed cases of COVID-19 associated with poultry workers in Maryland, Hogan said. He said those infections are partly the reason why “the case rate per 100,000 [people] in Wicomico County is now the fifth-highest in the state, nearly equal to Baltimore City and higher than Baltimore County.
“These outbreaks are not only a serious public health concern; they’re also a potential threat to Maryland’s leading agricultural industry and to our nation’s essential food-supply chain,” Hogan said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the State House in Annapolis.
The governor said that after he learned of the outbreaks, he alerted Vice President Mike Pence in a phone call on Friday. Pence agreed to have Dr. Robert Redfield of the Centers for Disease Control and Infection follow up, Hogan said.
Hogan said he spoke to Delaware Gov. John Carney and Virginia. Gov. Ralph Northram in a conference call with 15 other governors whose states have meat-processing plants.
