Official: German slaughterhouse virus outbreak untenable Germany’s agriculture minister says that conditions at a slaughterhouse where hundreds of workers tested positive for COVID-19 were untenable and backed an official investigation into the outbreakBERLIN -- Germany's agriculture minister said Thursday that conditions at a slaughterhouse where hundreds of workers tested positive for COVID-19 were untenable and backed an official investigation into the outbreak. Authorities in the western region of Guetersloh said that 730 people at the Toennies Group meatpacking plant in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck had tested positive for the new coronavirus, an increase of 73 since Wednesday. The United Food and Commercial Workers union said recently that at least 44 slaughterhouse workers in the U.S. have died from the virus and another 3,000 have tested positive. Officials said a further 10 people from southeastern and Eastern Europe had also tested positive in Guetersloh county, though they didn't work at the meat plant. The region has asked the German army to assist in the mass testing of further slaughterhouse workers.

Source: ABC News June 18, 2020 11:09 UTC