Meatpacking plants have unexpectedly become the epicenters of coronavirus outbreaks in rural communities, putting workers and their neighbors in peril and slowing meat production across the country.

Almost 5,000 plant workers across 19 states had tested positive for the virus as of April 27, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and based on anecdotal reports in local media, the virus has since continued to spread in the facilities. At least 20 workers have died. Some 22