A Marshallese community worker in the US state of Arkansas is continuing to push for poultry plants to shut down, to try and arrest the spread of Covid-19.
Albious Latior Photo: Facebook
Several dozen Marshallese in Springdale have been killed by coronavirus which has hit Pacific Island communities disproportionately across the US.
Albious Latior said many Marshallese were forced to continue to work, often at poultry plants, because they needed the weekly pay cheque for food and rent.
He said one major company, Tyson, was paying wages for those isolating but he said a mandatory two week shut down of all the businesses, for deep-cleaning, would be ideal.
"We think that is where the virus is exported to other workers.
"The workers, they carpool, they eat with each other during the lunch break, they mingle around. So it is really better to shut them down for two weeks."
The Marshallese community distribute care packages and masks Photo: Arkansas Coalition of Marshallese