Christina Stella / Harvest Public Media Originally published on May 12, 2021 8:51 pm It’s been a year since COVID-19 descended on U.S. meatpacking plants. In that time, nearly 60,000 workers have gotten sick, and more than 300 have died. That’s led to pushes at the state and federal levels to institute stronger protections for workers in U.S. facilities. While advocates are still navigating efforts to protect workers now, some are already thinking about preventing future outbreaks. Listen / In Nebraska, labor advocates are balancing present concerns about worker safety with questions about the future. With more than 7,000 positive tests within Nebraska plants and 28 deaths, many say employees still need safeguards.