Many of them aren't shut down, but they ARE working with less staff. Sometimes it's because of Covid illness; sometimes it's because of the workers' (or management's) fear of getting/passing it. Many companies/businesses can't adhere to the safety and social distancing rules - protection, spacing and limiting the number of workers in a single room.
Whatever the reason, the smaller workforce can't keep production or processing up to the normal quantity or quality, so everything slows down or even stops. That's what's going on in MD & DE with the chicken industry - not enough workers to keep the plants operating. Today's livestock was bred/hatched/raised months ago, based on "normal" conditions and a "normal" workforce. There's no way to "unproduce" those birds, beeves, crops, but without someone to prepare that food for consumption, there's no way to move it. There just aren't many people, these days, who know what to do with dinner-on-the-hoof!
It's ludicrous, it's wasteful, absolutely, but unless we'd had a crystal ball or fair warning, it was unavoidable. Heck, even if we HAD been given a warning, I doubt it would have made much difference. Production and Marketing always assume that buyers will keep buying - and consumers are used to always having what they want or need available, ready to go, on a shelf. From both ends of the supply chain, we're learning the falsity of "If you build it, they will come." and "If I want it, it appears."
And you're absolutely right that what passes for "Essential" these days is nuts! I mean, seriously, we can't go to the dentist, but we can buy a brand-new truck? Really?
Zheesh!
