NewsColony

NewsColony Coronavirus US: Rural areas brace fear they’ll be next epicenter Rural America is bracing to become the next coronavirus epicenter after a number of outbreaks in factories and food processing plants.  Experts say the numbers show communities with factories and farm work have seen a spike in cases – and that’s down to ‘lots of people working in very close contact in these essential jobs’.  Angela Hewlett, associate professor in infectious disease at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, said: ‘The epicenter of this outbreak really has shifted into the smaller rural areas.’   Areas that show a rise in cases include Sioux Falls in South Dakota where a shuttered Smithfield meat processing plant has been responsible for a large proportion of the cases in the state.  Current data shows there are 1,939 cases in Minnehaha County – where Sioux Falls is located. The death toll stands at six.  South Dakota has a total 2,313 cases and 11 de...