Germany: 1,000 people test positive in Gutersloh Abattoir, local lockdown imposed

More than 1,000 employees at an abattoir in Guetersloh county, Germany have tested positive for coronavirus, prompting local health authorities to order all its 6,500 employees and their families to go into quarantine. According to authorities, who have suspended the slaughterhouse’s operation since June 17,  the new cluster centers the abattoir operated by the Toennies Group in Rheda-Wiedenbrueck. The company officials have attributed the new surge to workers returning home after the country’s border restrictions eased. 

The new outbreak has also prompted schools to shut and a localised lockdown to be imposed, which was welcomed by Chancellor Angela Merkel. Merkel had advocated lockdown restrictions for a longer duration of time but had eased them following pressures from regional premiers.

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'Existential crisis' 

Germany, which has reported 1,91,225 cases and  8895 fatalities till now has been praised for its successful control of the coronavirus infection. However, it has witnessed repeated outbreaks in slaughterhouses, whose employees are often stocked up in small company provided flats.   Clemens Toennies, the meat company's proprietor, addressing a press conference said that the outbreak presented an "existential crisis" for his firm, which has suspended operations as authorities seek to control the outbreak.  He also revealed that this company had done "everything right" highlighting that it has "struggled" to find contacts of all employees so that they could be traced. 

"As a company, we thought we had done everything right. As an entrepreneur, I can only apologise. We have caused this and are fully responsible for it," he added. 

Germany started loosening its coronavirus restrictions in late April and has largely kept infection rates low, though local outbreaks linked to slaughterhouses, church services and a restaurant among other things have caused some concern. There have been several outbreaks at German slaughterhouses in recent weeks, prompting the government to impose stricter safety rules for the industry and ban the practice of using sub-contractors.

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(Image credits: AP)