SAN ANTONIO – A woman who worked at a Texas meat processing plant has died after a coronavirus outbreak at the facility.
Maria Hernandez, 63, was found dead in her home in Lufkin Friday just days after testing positive for the virus, according to media reports.
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She worked at the Pilgrim’s Pride plant in Lufkin, where 50 positive cases have been confirmed, according to KSAT’s sister station KPRC.
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Her family said she developed symptoms on April 25, began taking medication, was tested on May 4 and received a positive result two days later, the Lufkin Daily News reported.
Police found Hernandez dead after two people who went to check on her could not reach her by phone.
According to KPRC, workers at Pilgrim’s Pride represent 50 of the 107 confirmed cases in Angelina County.
Recent figures show a surge of infections in meatpacking and poultry-processing plants as people get back to work and President Donald Trump urges reopening the economy.
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The Associated Press is reporting 15 U.S. counties with the highest per-capita infection rates between April 28 and May 5 all are homes to meatpacking and poultry-processing plants or state prisons.