Over 11,500 grocery workers in the U.S. have been affected by Covid-19, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW).

The organization, which represents 1.3 million frontline workers, said that 11,507 workers have been infected by or exposed to the virus and 82 have died.

In food processing facilities, there have been at least 28 worker deaths and 3,474 workers infected or exposed.

During a press call on Thursday, UFCW International President Marc Perrone also announced three new initiatives in response to the growing increase of Covid-19 cases.

These include: Reinstating hazard pay and establishing a $15 per hour wage for all frontline workers; establishing a public mask mandate in all 50 states; and creating a new national public registry to track Covid-19 infections in frontline workers.

“With our country now 100 days into the COVID-19 pandemic, America’s frontline workers still face many of the same dangers they faced on day one," Perrone said.

"In grocery stores, meatpacking plants, and healthcare facilities, our country’s frontline workers are still getting sick and dying. It’s high time for America’s CEOs and elected leaders to pull their heads out of the sand and take the strong action needed to protect these brave workers and the communities they serve."

He urged employers to improve safety measures.

He also said that some of the nation's biggest companies like Amazon, Walmart, and Kroger are refusing to reveal how many of their workers have died or been exposed to COVID-19. "Simply put, it is impossible to hold the government or corporate America accountable when they hide the true impact of this outbreak," he said.