Share this article Share this article WASHINGTON, March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) today commends U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and U.S. Reps. Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) and Bennie Thompson (D-MS) for reintroducing the Safe Line Speeds During COVID-19 Act to better protect animals, workers and consumers from the dangers posed by higher line speeds in poultry, pig and cattle slaughterhouses. This legislation would prohibit slaughter and meat processing facilities from operating at extreme speeds during the pandemic. Extreme-speed slaughter imperils animals, workers and food safety under normal circumstances, accelerating production and placing even more pressure on workers to move animals quickly. Higher line speeds also make it more difficult for slaughterhouses to abide by humane handling laws and regulations, putting animals at greater risk of abuse and even conscious slaughter. During the COVID-19 crisis – when it's especially critical for workplaces to accommodate social distancing – slaughterhouses and processing plants have failed miserably to protect workers from the rapid spread of the virus, which has caused some plants to close temporarily. Since the start of the pandemic, at least 517 meatpacking plants have had confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 57,500 meatpacking workers have tested positive for the virus.