I came to America thinkin. I can never go through hell, but what, if they come to me, this virus a dangerous they caught everybody off guard, including myself. I was never prepare for some New York Times, I'm like about this yesterday. Today, one of the largest outbreaks of the corona virus. In the U S has been in I'd a meat processing plant in South Dakota, my colleague, Caitlin Dickerson speaks with one of its workers,

Its Monday me forth. As an immigration rapporteur, as soon as I sure that Covin nineteen is starting to spread across the country, I started thinking about who are the most vulnerable people in this pandemic and right away me and poultry plants come to mind because these facilities, and to be staffed by immigrants. There's gonna be a lot of pressure on workers to shop or work because they ve been deemed essential by the federal government and because of the nature of the work, the facilities are massive and often you have thousands of people working at a single time and they literally stand shoulder to shoulder their touching. All the time are you there oh I'll shoot, you just dropped out something happen, so I couldn't

with a woman named a two day who we did it. Yes, we do just to start out a shoe, can you just gonna, introduce yourself and tell us what work you do so my name is acute. Being I work with Smithfield we produce pork achieved as a shift lead at the Smithfield. Pork plant ensue fall South Dakota and I am the only person For one department a floor conversion to work the Conversion Department de boning, processing, all different kinds of pork, she's. Thirty, five and she's, a single mom of three boys again give giving can I get my son does come in him, a second who are trying to get there. Martha. While we talk sorry, I'm back here back Iraq, okay, so

you come to work out Smithfield. They wanted to go from South Sudan, to Ethiopia, to Kenya and to America, yeah, ok I'm sorry ass, I was born in South Sudan. Then when I was six years old, we had a terrorism. In the village. She was born in Sudan and she became an orphan when she was six years old during the countries civil war and we walked to kenya- and I was one thousand nine hundred and ninety one thousand nine hundred and ninety one still. She grew up in refugee camps and opium in Kenya where life was really hard. They created the school, but pretty much people go is that under the tree but because there was no building or class Romania like that. In the beginning, her school was a shady spy, beneath a large tree where children wrote their english lessons with sticks in the dirt yeah a theme.

I was normal at the time because we have no other choice. She and went days without having food or fresh water. A lot of her friends died She didn't know if she was ever going to leave so she took life one day at a time. I was. I was just surviving You know you don't know what will happen tomorrow. You know in the year two thousand her life change completely. I got news that I was I'm gonna get a second chance on life. I'm gonna go to the United States. She was and for a programme that relocated sudanese orphans? Oh my god, it was a happy is feeling for me. I cannot believe I didn't go to sleep. The next day I went to school. I I told my friends there she moved to Kansas City,

started a life in America. She graduated high school and start a community college, and then she starts working as a waitress and that an early twenties doing private security. And then, how do you get to Sioux Falls South Dakota, how you know I always Our people I can move to Sioux falls far various to visit. Thinking that I find a man, so that was very much a reason for resale rights I knew I moved in with my younger son Father. Then we broke up. Ok and How did you hear about the Smithfield Factory for the first time here, They told me about it because before I moved here, I told him. I cannot go a month without a job because a lot of you I rely on me and, most importantly, my kids, so in that

when he saw me area there is a company here, Miss Vale and when you are doing about it. What what where people saying there was good thing, some, your style wages with Miss Hale was twelve. Ninety five. That is a very good pay. They have healthcare, health insurance, so a lot of people who can The sole falls because of some Israel and what it was offering to people I know a lot of the sudanese families came here because of Smithfield Thumb when I went and put in my application right in there they saw Ok, you start tomorrow well, and I started ass. There was an eye operator and for someone who has never heard of Smithfield or been to the planet, can you, walk through what exactly it is that you guys do their sources.

Field, we receive live, hawks, slaughter them cut them into Is what I mean by that? By cut it off hands lead? We may bacon ham, even hot dogs she's our dogs, we haven't those are the things we do, especially also is the entire, the pig that come alive turn into so many things afterwards and what is a wizard knife is a circle knife that goes into this electric thing: and you turn it off and on, and what does it used for? they use was a knife to trim, are fat from the line until is pretty much all meat just made without fat, so picture a massive factory floor. With giant chunks of pork zooming by on a conveyor belt and achieve any

wizard knife operators are responsible for shaving that off of the meat, as it seems pass them. How many pigs are process there every day, ten thousand or more pig, thats huge and their responsible for forty five percent of all the pork that's produced and the United States. So when you first started, what did you think of it? How did it go? What did I think of Smithfield hard work? Hard work is what I thought of it, but you're, not really thinking of how hard it is. You are thinking of money you know, and in everything that you were went once you get the picture you are able to pay for the apartment. You are able to put food on the table these. Whether then that I was thinking and all

what was it like for you physically. Beginning starting out once you start doing something for the first time that something that you never done? You must always better rejected bodies will reject it. So I was always for I was always my wrist was sore my you know when them after work. I would come home and put eyes life on my shoulder or my wrist and then take idly profit than I do that every night Well until one day I went to first aid- and I talk to the nurse and the nurse was They're are nice I'll go in and she said you know what attitude lemme give you this advice. You know this job is a hard work is less of their hard work you ve been doing. This was an eye for for a year now, and your raises is hurting your arm heard your shoulder heard our do one job for about a year

but after that sign another job that way a rotation in your body, so she takes us advice and over the next couple years. She starts moving around the factory that different jobs. She eventually comes a shift lead and she starts working a lot of overtime. Usually eleven or twelve hours a day six days a week, but it really pays off and she starts to feel comfortable financially. I did pay eighteen seventy an hour What does that higher hourly wage meant for your life boys, my arm all three of them, I can do then what I never have, which is a battle at a young age last year I took them to Disneyworld. That's the sum. That when I went there I cried, but I was there was a terrible happen,

I'll bring. In my case, I am american by papers. I bring my kids here, and that was something I did. I was so proud of myself Between the new salary she's making and the overtime that she's working, she's able to move into a bigger with her sons and she's, also supporting fire family members who are still living in Africa. So this job offer me I care for everybody else, not just my boys in all Your basically supporting nine people on your salary from Smithfield Kenneth wow, so That's why I pick up overtime regardless of may be entirely. Every morning when I go to work, I put everything that the company offer

We are in order to make sure these food that are making doesn't have anything that can go in her and harm. Someone, because you know these- these food or going to families is going to children is going to. Mothers is going to fathers. Uncles, aren't everyone around the world. Working at the MID factory, I'm making food for people around the world. I think of that. Every day it sounds like you take a lot of pride in your job. Yes, I do Do you remember the first time you heard about the corona virus? Yeah I was said it was.

Sometime in January February. We just talking about is gonna, like is something that happened in China and he's gonna stay in China. Then come the beginning of March. Was Seattle and then the next morning I went to work and now Nobody workers is talking about it, but it's still most of us as refugees. Immigrants is like, it's probably you know people or maybe just being extra, body right now. Maybe it's not that bad. Why do you think you're That way, for me personally, I'm like ok, if ever become to affect, unlike I've been through. So much is. This is just like a virus You're talking to someone who had malaria, you know I survived. That saw was why ok,

what if it's gonna be like malaria, I can go through. It is just gonna, be like any other thing that I've been through. But then, on Saturday March, twenty first things start to change. Had Smithfield when I went to work that morning am. I saw him people with on cleaning up there. The hand rails doors, bathroom doors with white linen like what's goin on and I'm the one of the people told me this thing is there is a shoot. This thing is serious. But you know I'm dumb thinking now. Ok, a hundred fifty two hundred and sixty people in one shift Ah, you sitting in the bridegroom to wear tables are very small. You have six people in one table

and then later that day she gets an email, that time was when I receive an email, a video from the seals atmosphere seal. I am King Solomon President, CEO Smith, your foods I'd like to talk to you today about covered nineteen. Run a virus clear. So I watch the video from the sea all about this virus is not coming from food according to the FDA and CDC. There's no evidence that covered nineteen can be transmitted by food and America food every family need food. We don't want people to struggle from hunger,

let alone a virus. American families. We feed millions of people every day, every single day, some business with no shortcuts and no days off most of our team members work side by side on production lines in our facilities we can't stay home. We can't tell a commute food after all does not get made on the internet so that our companies is not gonna get shot down. We're here were always here where food company and despite covered nineteen indeed because of it, were working around the clock to do what we do best and that's deliver good food responsibly. How did it feel to you to have your job deemed essential in the middle of a pandemic when people all over the country are panicking. You know you

Our work is deemed fundamental to to keeping the country going At one point I was negative about it. At one point I was like wild do that made my life? Don't matter. And here I am putting my life arrests coming to work because the people around, the world need food, but I said: ok, I'm just gonna have to stay positive and people. If people need food and unable to that further then I'm just gonna put my life to God to protect me and not gets. Did you s alarms? It are just staying home from work and not going in, To be honest, I do not. I was just thinking off now. I need this job. I need to keep working, so I can support my family and is

thinking about and now as light and hides it hurts to you. You didn't think about yourself. Yes, this pact. It is supported by Doubleday publishers of Camino Wins by John Gresham. Looking for the perfect escape you'll find it in Camino, wins, B shrieking new novel by John Gresham, America's favorite stories. Bring son sand and a bit of mystery right to your door. Delia Owens author of where the crawdads says. Camino wines is a wild, but smart, Caper committee,

wins is available wherever you buy books by the end of march, hospitals across the country are being overrun by covered patients. Governors start shutting down businesses and ordering people to shelter and their homes, but in South Dakota there are still only a few covered cases. And a chewed is still going to work until Saturday March twenty Eightth. Now Saturday, I, as a binding came up around. I was said about three o clock and he said. Okay, I wants to have a meeting. Ah they asked me I have any fever cough any veto, shortness, Brezhnev's, I know I'm doing I'm doing good and he said one of the machine operator tested positive. I say what, while that person, I work with her that morning for life, I will say bye

fifteen minutes, they said: okay. Well, you gotta go home because you had close contact with the non white really. Right, you know, I didn't say it out loud, but I'm thinking they being silly and When they told me you gonna, be under quarantine for the next fourteen day, but on this you're gonna get pay. Forty hours is that enough, for me, is not enough for me as a person who do time over time is like five hundred extra five hundred dollars that, for me, a covered a lot of things, what I do. I can't go and get another job, but at that time I was told is just two weeks. So, unlike ok, two weeks

I got you know, I'll I'll be, ok is still gonna drop me back one step backward, but I'll be ok and then Monday night was. When I got sick Monday night, I went to bed children, okay. I woke up about two a m with this. Shop, pain on my body is just feel like someone's stab me. So I went to the bathroom and I said: ok, maybe I take a shower. A cold shower is gonna, be better so I turned the water on energy. When the water hit. My body, I feel like a bunch of rocks, was getting through. My body,

so I turned the Wada harsh. I took the towel to dry myself and my skin. I just couldn't use the tower just my skin. Her so I look I'm freaking out and then Thursday night. My body at this point is faster, even walking, is like on pushing myself. I just feel like something heavy set right on my chest. Now, the fear really kicked in because now I'm having problems breathing, I said: ok can be better for me. I I'm gonna stay up. I dont want to sleep, because if I go to sleep, chances are gonna, be have nothing to wake up.

That's when I left my room, I came to the living room and just said there, because I said: ok, If I say in my room and I die, I don't want my kids to find me dead in the room What was that like for you emotion? I mean, what's going through your mind, I went right back to my childhood to everything that I've been through life without my kids. If I die my kids we'll go through this,

that I've been through the loneliness you know not haven't yet about it check into like a parents, I'm taking a break this kid to this world. I survive through everything that I went through I said I haven't had a chance to tell them. They don't know the mob. They don't know what the market through all they do is that my mom is a worker Halleck. She would do anything to give us a better life. That's all they know is not a perfect world. I'd make a perfect for them. But if I die this world is not perfect. Anymore sounds like a horrible horrible night. It was it was. It was one of the worst night ever

So while I share is that harm SEC, what the crown a virus, the situation at Smithfield is evolving. This Smithfield pork processing plant is now Verona virus hotspot. More and more of her colleagues are falling ill. How many other cases you hear about among your colleagues. Oh Allied allowed a lot. I think within this the south Sudanese community alone. Nothing would have life at least forty people that I know, but in my department I was told that it went off to eighty in one department, eighty people and how big is your department on a good day that people showed up as the hunter

and thirty five. The outbreak at that Sioux falls plant is among the worst clusters of corona virus in the country about two hundred fifty workers, their tested, positive for corona virus. Three hundred fifty workers tested positive for covert nineteen and, as the days pass, it keeps getting worse. The number. Of cases skyrockets up to more than four hundred Smithfield workers who are sick, and the governor calls on the head of the company to stop production when other nations largest food processors, Smithfield Foods will close its processing plants in South Dakota for further cleaning swan April. Twelfth, the President Smithfield announced says he's going to close the plant indefinitely and all the workers are sent home this morning there were fears the nations food supply chain. Is it a breaking point? After more than a dozen major meat processing plants to become covert nineteen hawks?

Meanwhile, food processing plants across the country are getting hit hard with cove in other major companies like Thyssen Start reason: the alarm that they're having trouble producing and delivering food to the nations grocery stores because of the virus. Meanwhile, in terms of announcing the executive order to compel meat processing plants to remain open, and last week, President Trump signs and executive order declaring meat and poultry plants as part of the nation's critical infrastructure as a way to pressure the plants to keep producing food ensue. The plan is still closed. Smithfield says it will continue to pay workers for forty hours a week until they go back to work and it speeding up plans to reopen the plan as quickly as possible, but that's also questions about, whether it can do so safely. How are you feeling now, physically physically

I feel? I feel I feel good, I'm still here. A lot of that I've had it, but you know that's life offers them every day when you are more than enough, though, about freaking out overhead, but my favorite this one. It is still at a hundred, and I have no idea why I'm just trying to get it down to life now denied, at least before I call my doktor to go for a check in bed. I cannot afford to stay home for a long time. I would give myself a month and ever goes after four weeks now. It would be good for me at all its own as soon as you start feeling better your focus- goes from your health back to your finances. Yes, that is correct. So now my focus is

try to take care of myself as possible to wear when this company open back up their number. To go. So that's where my focus is. Thank you. So much for talking to us Iraq's variants. They welcome and thank you very much for me. Give me the of the voice A lot of people understand the living of the refugee camp. I don't take anything for granted because of what I been through. As I am because of what I see happening to other kids that did not make it, but a parachute there, looking for me, they are watching me again, Met them brown,

on Friday federal officials said they were investigating the conditions at the South Dakota Smithfield plan that may have contributed to the outbreak so far. More than one thousand infections, and two deaths have been linked to the plan. Nevertheless, it is scheduled to partially reopen later today.

Hey everyone, you know a lot of things are changing and our professional lives. So and learning wants to give you a hand with skills that can help you and your career may have oversight ten thousand courses top by industry experts. It's great you can how to stay engaged while working from home or get tips on finding a job from a career strategist, so keep learning the skills they need to rise to any moment and try one month free. Linked in learning dot com, slash the daily. Here's what else you need, and on Friday, the Food and Drug Administration granted emergency approval to the anti viral drugs when disappear. Making it the first government sanction treatment for those with covert. Ninety nine. That your company has its emergency use authorization. How quickly will the drug debt to those people who need it

we are grateful and really humble, everything is moved so quickly. You know it's only been in, on Sunday, with CBS the CEO of the drugs manufacturer, Juliet said he was working with federal officials to ensure that the first shipments of the drug REACH America's hardest hit. Communities and hospitals and longer we intend to get participation to patients in the early part of this next week, beginning to work with the government which will determine what's that, These are most vulnerable and where the patients are that need this medicine and we're going to form a consortium with our seven northeast partner states which, by about five billion dollars worth of equipment and supplies that will then increase our ma,

power when we're by seven states said they would begin jointly purchasing medical equipment from gloves to ventilators to avoid competing with one another and because the federal stockpile of such equipment is running out. So this consortium, I think, will help us get the equipment and get it at a better price. The consortium involves New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware Massachusetts and what I as of Sunday, they were nearly sixty eight thousand deaths from the corona virus. In the U S and newly too, hundred and forty six thousand worldwide

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