Cargill officials confirmed that 64 employees at its Chambly, Quebec facility had tested positive for the coronavirus, according to CBC Canada.
A spokesperson for the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), representing 500 workers at the plant, said the plant will be shut down Wednesday so all the workers can be tested. The spokesperson also said 171 employees were sent home last week because of exposure to those infected.
“Cargill is working in close partnership with local health officials and the union to test our employees as soon as possible,” the Cargill spokesperson said in a statement emailed to Global News.
“As we continue to focus on safety, we want to emphasize that employees are required to have had no symptoms of illness and not had contact with anyone with the COVID-19 virus for 14 days,” the statement reads.
The plant is now in the process of winding down – or going through the “idling process” – with employees working with materials on hand to avoid waste. Cargill says it has implemented safety measures, including installing plexiglass between workers where possible and providing masks, visors, and safety glasses.
The Cargill beef-packing plant in High River, Alberta reopened last Monday after a two-week shutdown. Over 900 of the facility’s 2,000 employees tested positive for the coronavirus.
