Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam noted Monday an increase in coronavirus cases at meat processing plants on the Eastern Shore and in the Shenandoah Valley, saying he is concerned about poultry plant workers because they are particularly vulnerable.
“About 3,000 people work in two plants on Virginia’s Eastern Shore,” Mr. Northam said. “Many of them do not speak English as their first language and the close quarters of their housing make measures such as isolation and quarantine even more difficult.”
He said he is working with Govs. Larry Hogan of Maryland and John Carney of Delaware, whose states also are seeing a rise in cases among meat-processing operations on the Delmarva peninsula.
Mr. Northam said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has agreed to deploy teams to each of the jurisdictions to assess the situation, with a team expected Monday in Virginia.
The Democratic governor also announced a new $2 million grant from the Federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to help Virginia address the impact of COVID-19 on mental health.
“While we focus on Virginia’s physical health during this epidemic, we know this is taking a toll on mental health as well,” he said, adding that the CDC says children and teens, health workers and those who have mental health conditions are likely to be the most stressed during a crisis like this.
Virginia’s 40 Community Service Boards, with the help of this grant, will be able to continue to provide outpatient treatment for behavioral health and substance abuse via telehealth.
The grant also will help provide mental health treatment for health care workers via partnerships with hospital systems.
• Sophie Kaplan can be reached at skaplan@washingtontimes.com.
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