Two Berryville Tyson workers die of virus

Family and friends are mourning the deaths of two Berryville residents employed by Tyson Foods who died recently after being hospitalized for treatment of the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19).

Family and friends of Servando Paez, 70, who passed away June 6 at a hospital in Benton County, are concerned that his death is not being reported on the listings for Covid-19 deaths in Carroll County on the website for the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH).

Another worker at the Berryville plant, Gloria Medina, passed away June 15.

“We are deeply saddened by the loss of any Tyson team member and are keeping the family in our thoughts and prayers at this difficult time,” Tyson spokesman Derek Burleson wrote in an email. “Tyson Foods’ top priority is the health and safety of our team members. We take this responsibility very seriously, and we have put in place a host of protective steps at our facilities that meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidance for preventing Covid-19.”

Family and citizens said they have been calling everyone they can think of to try to find out why the death of Paez hasn’t been reported on Carroll County totals.

ADH spokeswoman Danyelle McNeill said they have only one confirmed death from Covid-19 earlier in Carroll County. “It may not have been reported to us yet or confirmed yet or we may be waiting on more information in order to attribute it to a county,” McNeill said. “Our numbers are subject to change as we receive new information.”

There are a lot of people with the virus at the Tyson plant in Berryville, Laura Ponce, a co-founder of Purple Flower, said.

“The numbers don’t add up with the statistics they are giving us,” Ponce said. “That is why my community is very concerned. This is terrible. The families are torn up. Tyson needs to shut down, sanitize and test all the workers to stop the spread of the virus.”

The most recent ADH report on Covid-19 clusters in poultry industries lists six active cases in Carroll County and five recovered cases.

As of June 16, ADH listed Carroll County with 88 Covid-19 cases, with 32 recovered.

Ponce, who was friends with Medina, said families of the two workers who died are devastated. She is also very concerned about the spread of the virus in the community from people, including workers, who have tested positive, but are not quarantining.

“I have no words for Covid-19 positives going out like they are on vacation,” she said. “People who are Covid positive should be fined for violating quarantine, not wear masks and practicing social distancing. And there are people walking around without a mask with their little ones at grocery stores and gas stations acting like nothing is going on. We should all be responsible by wearing a mask and washing our hands. I see people everywhere with no masks, coughing and sneezing. That is not okay.”

Linda Maiella, co-founder of Purple Flower, said despite calling many authorities, they have not been able to get the first worker’s death added to the Carroll County totals.

“Nobody is giving a straight answer as far as acknowledging this,” Maiella. “It just shouldn’t be this hard to have an accurate statement of a death reported.”

Maiella believes the lack of confirmation of the death is because people are afraid of Tyson, the largest meat and poultry processor in the country with headquarters in Springdale.

“No one wants to step on Tyson’s toes,” she said. “It is just mind-boggling the governor continues to reopen the state despite increasing number of cases and deaths. It is almost like putting the Tyson workers in a death sentence. No one seems to care about them. They have to go to work because Tyson remains open.

“It is the responsibility of the governor and others in power to protect the most vulnerable. It is upsetting that the governor has his head in the sand. It is a crisis. Everyone seems to be looking the other way.”

The deaths occurred during the same time period that Arkansas saw a record number of new cases—731 in one day.

As of June 12, ADH reported 1,353 cases of Covid-19 in workers employed by poultry businesses. ADH lists 682 as active cases and 671 as recovered. One plant alone, Tyson on Berry Street in Springdale, was listed by ADH with 193 active cases with 20 recovered.

However, a press release from Tyson said that only one out of 199 workers who tested positive onsite June 4-6 showed any symptoms. Tyson said the other 198 individuals who tested positive did not show any symptoms and otherwise would not have been identified.

“This is in addition to 48 positive cases identified at Berry Street [Springdale] by the Department of Health or when seeking care through their own health care providers,” a Tyson press release said. “Team members who test positive receive paid leave during the quarantine period required by the CDC and may return to work only when they have met the criteria established by both the CDC and Tyson.”

It is not known how many family members of poultry workers have come down with Covid-19 as the ADH does not track that.

Workers who tested positive with no symptoms were ordered back to work June 15, said Magaly Licolli, an organizer with Venceremos, a support group for meatpacking workers in Northwest Arkansas.

“I spoke with some of the workers this past Friday and Saturday,” Licolli said. “They don’t have symptoms, but they are infecting their families. The company told them to come back to work a week after testing. Some of these workers were telling me they felt very bad. They don’t want to come and infect other co-workers. They have no other option. If they don’t come to work, they get discipline points and could be fired. One worker said his wife tested positive for Covid-19 and he doesn’t think it is right to go back to work and infect others.”

CDC recommends quarantining for two weeks after the last exposure to Covid-19.

Licolli said many more workers will be exposed, and it could have been prevented by taking measures when the first outbreaks began in April.

“They didn’t put workers in quarantine,” she said. “They just took their temperatures, but that isn’t enough for people who don’t have symptoms. Now there are multiple outbreaks in all the processing plants because the company has acted too slowly.

“Those who are dying from this crisis are the most vulnerable. They are being sacrificed for the sake of profits.”

She said workers who have quarantined are struggling to get food. She advocates Tyson and the government make arrangements to provide safe housing to isolate these workers and provide food.

“Workers have to figure it out themselves right now,” Licolli said.

“At the end of the day, we are all going to have to suffer a food crisis, a health crisis and an economic crisis,” she said. “Eventually all the communities are going to be suffering from this lack of responsibility from the government and the companies.”