Ukok jān Patrick Boaz. See here for English version.
Olivia Paschal, juon rijeje nuuj ilo Northwest Akansas ej kwaļok kōn rijerbal ro ilo im̧ōn kōm̧m̧an bao ko. Riiti likio in bwebwenato eo moktata im ear diwōj ļo̧k jān Facing South ilo Okōj 20, 2020 im ear ukook bar diwōj ļo̧k kōn mālim eo aer. Enin ej paat 1 in paat 4.
Ilo Juun 12 eo, Consul General Eldon Alik ear jeje ļo̧k n̄an mayor ro, ritel ro ilo state legislation eo, im representative ro an Tyson, George’s im Cargill ilo email. “Ij kojatdikdik bwe em̧m̧an ami pād im bwe kom̧wij ājm̧our wōt!” Alik ear je. “Ijjab. Ejjab em̧m̧an aō pād kōnke ri M̧ajeļ ro m̧ōtta ejjab em̧m̧an aer pād im rej mej ļo̧k ilo wāween eo emakijkij.” Telpon eo an ear ring aolepen wiik eo, ear wōnm̧aanļo̧k im ba, kōn nuuj in an mej ļo̧k armej in M̧ajeļ kōn Covid-19. “Enaaj jete armej ren jako bwe jen jino em̧akit? Imeļeļe bwe im̧ōn kōm̧m̧an bao kein eļap aer aorōk im bwe rej aikuj peļļo̧k n̄an kem̧our jukjukun pād eo bōtaab enjab ilo an armej mej ļo̧k.”
Armej in M̧ajeļ rej jokwe ilo Amedka ium̧win juon Compact of Free Association eo emōj kōmālimi elkin an nuclear testing ko an Amedka kōm̧m̧an an āne ko baijin kōn radiation. Ilo Arkansas, rejjab m̧aron̄ kojerbal Medicare im elōn̄ iaer rejjab m̧aron̄ kōjerbal Medicaid. Elōn̄ iaer—eļaptata aļap ro—ejeļok aer health insurance. Alik ej kōtmene bwe elōn̄ ļo̧k jen jimetan in rijerbal ro ilo Arkansas rej jerbal ilo im̧ōn kōm̧m̧an bao ko. Kōnke ekka aer jokwe ippan doon, jen aļap en eritto tata n̄an ajri en edik tata, ewōr uwata kōn an rijerbal rein im eaorōk bwe ren jerbal wōt naaj bōklok nan̄inmej in COVID-19 n̄an aļap ro, ro im elōn̄ iaer ejeja aer lo ļo̧k taktō ro.
“Iar je email in bwe kōnke iar jaje ta eo in kōm̧m̧ane.” Alik ear jiron̄ ļo̧k Facing South. “Iaar kanooj inebata.” Ilo tōre eo ear nana tata an̄in kūj in, ear ba, elōn̄ ļo̧k jān 600 Ri M̧ajeļ ro rej jokwe ilo Arkansas raar nan̄inmej. N̄an rainin, 47 raar mej. Wiik eo ļo̧k ej kein kajuon ium̧win allōn im ejjanin kar wor rimej jen COVID-19 im ejeļok ilomej nan ad pād ie. (Ilo iien in, ejanin ļap mej kōn COVID-19 iloan ri M̧ajeļ ro rej jokwe ilo Arkansas mae Okwōj 2.)
Ilo email eo an. Alik ej kajitōk bwe imōn kōm̧m̧an bao kein ren kilōk ium̧win ruo wiik. Enaaj lelok iien an ro rej nan̄inmej ak ro ewōr kūj in ippaer bwe ren kajenolok er im leļo̧k iien an m̧ōn jerbal kein ikun kareo. Ear jab make iaan: Ilo aolepen iien (pandemic) ajedeed in, elōn̄ ritel ro jen jukjukin pād ko, rijerbal ro, ro rej jutak kōn jim̧we ko an rijerbal ro raar jiron̄ ļo̧k ro ilon ilo jikin jerbal kein im rijerbal ro an kien nan kiil jikin kōm̧m̧an bao ko ilo Arkansas im ekawōtōta oran rinaninmej in Covid-19 ko ie. Bōtaap men in ear jab bok jikin. Ruo wiik elkin email eo an Alik, oran rinaninmej in Covid-19 ilo jikin kom̧m̧an bao ko raar tōbar ijo ilōn tata.
Ibeļakin Arkansas, tarin 35 jikin kōm̧m̧an bao ko ear wōr tarin ļaļem ak lōn̄ ļo̧k oran rijerbal ro eaar alikkar elkin aer kar kakōlkōl bwe raar bōk nan̄inmej in, ekkar nan bōnbōn ko jen Ra eo an Jikin Am̧our. Kio, elōn ļo̧k jan 4,600 rijerbal ro ilo jikin kōm̧m̧an bao kein ilo Arkansas raar bōk nan̄inmej in, elōn ļo̧k jan 1,400 iaer rej jerbal ilo im̧ōn kōm̧m̧an bao ko an Tyson. Iktōltōl in armej ilo im̧ōn kōm̧m̧an bao ko ear kajedeed ļo̧k kuj eo ilo elōn jukjukkun pād ko jejo armej ro ie ilo Arkansas: Ilo Danville, ear alikkar bwe ekepaak 200 ian 771 armej ro rej jerbal ilo im̧ōn kōmman monā ko an Wayne Farms raar bōk nan̄inmej in. Pilgrim’s Pride im im̧ōn kōm̧m̧an mōna ko an Tyson raar delon ilo ajedeed in elap ilo Sevier County, ijo im elōn̄ ļok jān juon m̧ōttan jilu ian rinan̄inmej ro rej rijerbal ilo im̧on kōm̧m̧an bao ko. Ilo beļakin State in, tarin 22 rijerbal ro em̧ōj aer mej jen kūj in.
“Jaar jab maanjapopo einwōt juon State, jaar lom̧ņak. ‘Eban eindein ijin. Eban jelet koj,” Maria Romero ear ba, juon eo ej speech therapist ilo Northwest Arkansas eo ej pād ilo COVID-19 task force eo an bukwōn in. Jinen, eo ej ilo im̧ōn kōm̧m̧an m̧ōn̄a eo Pilgrim’s Pride ilo Sevier County, ear bōk nan̄inmej in COVID-19 im ear pād ilo ICU ium̧win ruo wiik. Em̧ōj an jebļaak n̄an jerbal.
Elōn̄ ļo̧k uwaan Ri-hispanic im ri M̧ajeļ ro ilo imōn kōm̧m̧an bao ko jān oraer ilo Benton im Washington County. Elōn̄ ļo̧k jān 20% ian rinan̄inmej in COVID-19 ko ilo county kein rej rijerbal in mōn kōm̧m̧an bao ko – elōn̄ ļo̧k jān 1,000 ilo kajojo county kein. Ilubwiljen ri Hispanic rein im ri M̧ajeļ rein, ewōr 40% ri Hispanic 25% ri M̧ajel rej jerbal ilo factory ko. Ri Hispanic ro im ri M̧ajeļ ro eļap ļo̧k aer kar joreen jen ro jet. Juon field team an CDC raar ripoot ilo jinoun Juļae eo bwe ilo uwaan uwaan armej ro raar bōk kūj in ilo county kein eitōn jimetan iaer ri Hispanic im 19% kar ri M̧ajeļ.
Ilo jinoun pandemic in-ajedeed in kūj in, rijerbal ro raar kile wōt jen jinoun an naaj kawōtōta jikin jerbal ko aer – aerā n̄an aerā ilo ļain in jerbal eo, rej ikun jelm̧ae rijerbal ro jet, edik an kōto diwōj deļon̄, edik iien kakuje. Jet raar kam̧ōj aer jerbal, ak ewōr ro rejjab m̧aron̄ kar. Ilo an jako juon raan in jerbal ej m̧eļeļe bwe ejeļo̧k naaj bonej (bonus; hazardous pay) ak jet kan point im em̧aron̄ jako an jerbal.
Juon kar rijerbal in George’s Ozark Mountain Poultry ilo Roger, juon pukwōn ilo Benton County ear ikūr ļo̧k n̄an kien eo an pukwōn in ilo Maaj 17 im kajitōk ļo̧k n̄e Jikin kōm̧m̧an bao in enaaj kilōk. Im kar jiron̄ ļo̧k jān juon rijerbal in opiij ko an jikin Ājmour bwe Ra eo an Jikin Ājmour ejeļo̧k aer lōmnak in kōm̧m̧an wāween in. Ilo Maaj 20 eo, rijerbal ro jān ruo ian jikin kōm̧m̧an bao ko an Tyson – juon ilo Hope im eo kein karuo ilo Pine Bluff – raar ikūr ļo̧k n̄an opiij eo ijin an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) n̄an kwalok abōnōnō eo aer an management eo jan̄in ļoor kakien ko n̄an kejbarok ājm̧our jān coronavirus.
“Ilo factory ko, raar jeļā epād nan̄inmej eo ie, rej aikuj kar bok bun̄tōn ko n̄an kejbarok iien eo wōt em̧ōkajtata.” Romero ear ba,“Rej aikuj kar loe bwe ren tōmak.”