Over 100 federal meat inspectors have tested positive for COVID-19 — along with at least 5,000 meatpacking workers

• 145 US meat inspectors were absent from work due to COVID-19 diagnoses as of April 28.
• The figure was given by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which spoke to CBS News earlier this week.
• The United Food and Commercial Workers union reported that at least 5,000 meatpacking workers have tested positive for COVID-19l, while 3 meat inspectors are reported to have died from COVID-19.
• Paula Schelling, acting president of AFGE Council 45 — which represents 6,500 US federal food inspectors — said the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service warranted "an 'F'" for employee protection.
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145 US meat inspectors were absent from work due to COVID-19 diagnoses as of April 28, as the meatpacking industry comes under growing scrutiny for its handling of the crisis.

The number of absent inspectors was revealed by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which spoke to CBS News on Monday.

Meanwhile, the United Food and Commercial Workers union reported that at least 5,000 meatpacking workers have tested positive for COVID-19, and 3 meat inspectors are reported to have died from COVID-19, according to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE).

Paula Schelling, acting president of AFGE Council 45 — which represents 6,500 federal food inspectors nationwide — gave the USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service "an 'F' for protecting their own employees."

Business Insider has reached out to the USDA for comment.

Compounding the dire situation in US meatpacking factories, the meatpacking industry is facing accusations of possible price-fixing during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as a lack of market competition.

On May 5, the attorneys general for 11 cattle-heavy Midwestern states – North Dakota, Colorado, Missouri, Montana, Arizona, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming – urged the Department of Justice to launch a federal investigation into the matter.