At least 59,000 meat workers caught COVID, 269 died: report At least 59,000 meat workers caught COVID, 269 died: report October 27, 2021 dzadmin Comments 0 Comment At least 59,000 meatpacking workers became ill with COVID-19 and 269 workers died when the virus tore through the industry last year, which is significantly more than previously thought, according to a new U.S. House report released Wednesday.