Slaughterhouses emerge as new coronavirus hot spots in Germany

At least 600 workers at slaughterhouses in Germany have tested positive for coronavirus, weekly news magazine Der Spiegel reported on May 8.

Most of these affected workers are from eastern European countries, including Romania and Bulgaria. In most cases, they live together in tiny spaces and commute to work by buses operated by the factories, thus increasing the risk of getting infected, Der Spiegel said.

Some slaughterhouses in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia has been shuttered after clusters of infections were detected. The state has also decided to test all of around 20,000 workers at these factories for coronavirus. The state of Schleswig-Holstein has also announced similar plans.