PASSING THE BUCK FOR RESPONSIBILITY OF THE VIRUS AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE

 Filenews 10 November 2020 - by Angelos Nikolaou

The detection of a significant number of cases in a single operation at the Cypra slaughterhouse in Kato Moni has demonstrated the nakedness of the system and invalidates all health protocols that, if applied, might not reach the current situation. At the same time, we saw all those involved in the show set up in the media handing out responsibilities to others, without considering their own responsibility. Investigations underway by government agencies may solve the whole issue. The reality is that cases of coronavirus in slaughterhouses have occurred in many other countries and one would say that Cyprus would not be an exception. And yet, if the measures of the health protocols were strictly taken, it would certainly not close the largest slaughterhouse in Cyprus today and risk the market being left without local meats.

As of early morning, the Director of Veterinary Services, Christodoulos Pippis, was trying to renounce responsibility, pointing out that the health services have control of the protocol even in slaughterhouses. The answer was given by the Minister of Health himself, Konstantinos Ioannou, speaking before the parliamentary Finance Committee, who referred to a meeting with all the relevant government departments, all ministries on 30 September. "There was a meeting, there was a division of work, each department took over the spaces within its competence. The control for slaughterhouses belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture. The Ministry of Health has nothing to do with slaughterhouses," he said.

On the other hand, responsibility was placed on the health minister and the company itself, stating characteristically "when you have 140 employees and 90 are positive, we see that almost no one complies with the measures and protocols". Therefore, for the current situation, the Protocol is responsible for the slaughterhouse manager to apply it and for the veterinarian responsible to check that it is being properly applied.

The company itself, however, is in turn not to admit liability, since, as it is allowed to be said, it has followed all the protocols and is responsible for the state's policy of imposing on undertakings the recruitment of asylum seekers. It appears that the undertaking in question employed more than 50 asylum seekers. These persons, unlike the other foreign workers, did not live in slaughterhouse accommodation.

The only ones who are certainly not responsible are the employees of the Epidemiological Surveillance Unit of the Ministry of Health and the private laboratory which carried out a laboratory check on slaughterhouse staff last Friday.

Let's take things in time. The first symptoms of coronavirus have occurred to veterinary services staff since 1 November, and confirmation was made on Wednesday 4 November. The three positive cases concern veterinarians, some of whom visited both slaughterhouses in nicosia province for work. Over the next few days, slaughterhouse workers were checked and 92 cases were found from 146 samples at the Cypra slaughterhouse. Of these, six are veterinary officers. The slaughterhouse has been closed since last Friday.

A total of 75 workers were transferred to a quarantine hotel in Pissouri. The rest remain confined to their own space.

Yesterday, the Veterinary Services in a communication clarified that no slaughterhouse can operate without the presence and inspection of veterinary officers of the Veterinary Services. Staff shall carry out the veterinary checks provided for by Union and national legislation along the slaughter line for meat production for human consumption. The Veterinary Services shall ensure that they act in accordance with the provisions of the Decrees of the Minister of Health. They state, however, that they are 'not in a position to check compliance with protocol provisions in premises of food businesses other than the animal slaughter line'.

The Director of Medical Services of the Ministry of Health, Elizabeth Konstantinou, says in turn that most workers at the slaughterhouse are foreigners and there are problems of consultation due to language. He added that in the areas where the workers were living there was overcrowding, there was no strict adherence to the protocols, they did not wear masks, the space was not well ventilated and distances were not kept.

Multiple outbreaks of Covid-19 slaughterhouses in Europe

Since the first wave of the pandemic, there has been a major problem with cases of coronavirus in slaughterhouses in many European countries, but also in the USA. As can be seen from the increased incidents, slaughterhouses are among the most dangerous workplaces for the transmission of coronavirus, since the working environment can make a significant contribution to the possible exposure of workers working side by side for too many hours.

Cases were reported in Germany, Belgium and Denmark, while thousands of cases were also recorded in the US, leading the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to issue specific guidelines for workers.

According to the CDC, the risk of professional transmission of coronavirus depends on several factors. In addition to the cold and humid environment that necessarily exists in these areas and which appears to favour the transmission of the virus, other distinct factors affecting include the reduced distance between workers, duration and type of contact. In particular, workers in such establishments often cooperate with each other on processing lines. They may be close to each other and at other times such as during breaks. It is possible that exposure to the coronavirus may result from contact with contaminated surfaces or objects, such as tools, workstations, or tables in the break rooms. They also often have prolonged proximity to their colleagues (e.g. for 10 - 12 hours per shift). Usually in these areas there are noise-causing refrigerators, so workers are forced to speak loudly, which increases the likelihood of transmission of the virus.