Four Maple Leaf Foods workers at two Ontario plants tested positive for COVID-19

Four total employees of Maple Leaf Foods – one working at a prepared meats plant in Hamilton, the other three at a fresh poultry plant in Brampton – have tested positive for COVID-19, according to reports from the company.

These mark the first four confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus among Maple Leaf Foods’ 13,000 employees. The infected employees were immediately directed to stay home, and any other employees who came into contact with them are required to self-isolate for two weeks.

Positive COVID-19 tests at Maple Leaf Foods plants in Hamilton and Brampton https://t.co/82qZOQ8K3c pic.twitter.com/Wl4ZB2fKAi

— CBC Toronto (@CBCToronto) April 7, 2020

In addition, Maple Leaf Foods is also temporarily shuttering operations at its Brampton plant in order to initiate an investigation and deep cleaning of the facility.

In light of these four confirmed cases, Maple Leaf Foods released a statement breaking down the intensified precautionary measures the company will be taking during this ongoing global pandemic.

These measures including the addition of COVID-19 screening tools to all Maple Leaf Foods locations, requiring employees to work from home when possible, maximizing social distancing for those employees who cannot work from home, increased levels of sanitation in their facilities, eliminating meetings in person, and ensuring that employees required to self-isolate continue to receive pay in line with the company’s short-term disability plans.

The company has also said that, in recognition of the invaluable ongoing service provided by its frontline workers, those employees are also receiving weekly bonuses.

Read Maple Leaf Foods’ entire statement here.

Lead image courtesy of @mapleleaffoods

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