Canada’s Minister of Health says the outbreak of COVID-19 at a meat-processing facility south of Calgary has raised concerns about the workplace and the social environment of employees.
As of Tuesday, 401 employees of the Cargill plant in High River have tested positive for COVID-19 and dozens more have been linked to the outbreak, raising questions on the federal response to the matter.
Minister Patty Hajdu says the risk is not in the food, but in the families and contacts of the workers. She says one worker has already died and conversations continue to understand how best to support the plants and the farmers behind them.
Canada’s top doctor, Theresa Tam, adds as long as safe hygiene practices are kept, food should be safe.
Cargill is closing the High River location on a temporary basis.