New Kansas coronavirus data shows meatpacking plants still struggling with outbreaks
The coronavirus continues to sweep through Kansas meatpacking plants, with thousands of cases attributed to active clusters, according to new data released Wednesday by state officials.
The disclosure marked the first time the Kansas Department of Health and Environment made public a list of active COVID-19 clusters. Past policy limited public identification of cluster sites.
The release came as Kansas’ top health official outlined plans to ramp up testing going into the fall and business leaders voiced concerns with naming cluster sites.
In a press conference, KDHE Secretary Lee Norman said the state released the data to be transparent and to help Kansans make proactive decisions about the virus.
To explain why the list is necessary, Norman pointed to a candy store that resulted in more than 100 cases earlier this year.
“Do we have an obligation to the people in that region to understand that there’s something about that store that is different?” he said.
At least 2,148 cases have been linked to six meatpacking plants, the data shows. Five of the plants are located in Kansas. One, Triumph Foods in St. Joseph, was identified as an out-of-state source of cases.
The plants are locations of some of the state’s largest outbreaks, with 647 cases reported at the National Beef plant and 594 at the Cargill plant, both in Dodge City.
The virus appears to have rippled out into the wider community as well. Numerous clusters were reported in Dodge City, including 37 cases linked to Dodge City Community College Athletics and 12 others to the school’s general population.
At Dodge City Public Schools, 27 cases have been reported. Thirteen cases are linked to a cluster at city hall.
Other notable cluster locations include:
Seven Kansas State University Greek houses
Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University and Benedictine College
The K-State and University of Kansas football teams
In a statement to The Star, Wednesday, KU spokesperson Dan Beckler said the 14 cases attributed to the KU football team were from the previous 28 days. Currently, he said, three players have active cases. The team’s game against Coastal Carolina is expected to be played as scheduled Saturday.
When Gov. Laura Kelly announced last week that KDHE was changing course and would release cluster names, the Democrat said that by sharing the information, “Kansans will be better informed about the threat of COVID-19 in their schools and communities, and will be better prepared to contain and stop the spread of the virus.”
But several statewide business groups, including the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, sent a letter to Kelly on Wednesday urging her not to release the information.
“We are unsure what the benefit of this disclosure offers, other than a public shaming of businesses where an outbreak occurs,” Kansas Chamber President and CEO Alan Cobb said in a statement.
Norman said private businesses will only appear on the list if there are 20 or more cases. Once there are no new cases for 28 days, he said, they are are removed from the list.
Meatpacking plants were among the early locations of outbreaks when COVID-19 hit Kansas. Workers expressed concern over conditions that appeared to encourage the spread of the virus and make social distancing nearly impossible.
One of the plants that had more than 100 cases early in the pandemic, Norman said, was removed from the list after its case counts dropped. He did not specify which plant.
Other outbreaks are still present, according to KDHE data, at Elkhorn Valley Packing in Harper, National Beef in Liberal and Sugar Creek Packing in Frontenac.
In May, the state relaxed quarantine guidelines for meatpacking workers, allowing them to stay on the job after coming in contact with positive cases as long as they showed no symptoms. The change followed pressure from industry executives and an executive order from President Donald Trump directing meatpacking plants to stay open.
Kansas’ plants account for roughly 20% to 30% of the nation’s beef processing capacity.
In addition to meatpacking plants, KDHE data identified clusters of cases at 26 long-term care facilities, six health care facilities and four religious gatherings.
Kansas jails and state prisons also had some of the largest clusters with more than 400 cases identified at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility and Sedgwick County Jail.
New testing strategy
In a pandemic task force meeting Wednesday, Norman proposed to increase testing capacity and turnaround time as students return to class and average case numbers would rise.
Norman called for increased testing from private labs within businesses and in South Central Kansas through Wichita State University. He also proposed stocking up on so-called “easy tests” that can provide rapid results for use in Kansas’ K-12 schools.
Norman said he would seek to create a group to coordinate testing strategies.
“This is not going to be a fun fall and winter,” Norman said, predicting increases in coronavirus cases.
The expanded testing strategy, he said, will be a “shot in the arm” to prepare the state.
The three strategies would cost the state just over $53 million. The task force’s executive committee voted to pass the proposal to the State Finance Council for approval.
This story was originally published September 9, 2020 at 1:41 PM.
