Three protein processing plants in the province account for almost three quarters of Canada’s beef supply..Cargill reluctantly paused operations at their High River location after 38 cases became 401 among employees. Those cases have been linked to an additional 124 cases, mainly through household and community transmission..A woman in her sixties who was employed at the High River plant died Monday..The number of cases have doubled at the JBS plant, a processing facility in Brooks, in recent days as well – from 30-some cases to 67 by the end of last week and over 70 as of Monday..There has also been one confirmed case at the Cargill Foothills plant in Calgary.. Trudeau on WE scandal: Case closed .Alberta has at least 20 meat processing plants around the province but infections have only arisen at three, so far..On April 16, the provincial and federal government released details of a plan to protect workers who were required to work in non-healthcare essential services..The protocol, according to a press release from the government of Alberta, stated that Alberta “facilities already have very strict sanitation protocols and practices.”.“Food production is an essential service. The employees in Alberta’s food processing industry are still hard at work every day, and thanks to them our food supply chain is strong,” Alberta Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Devin Dreeshen said on April 16..“This new plan we’ve developed will help keep them safe – while they keep us fed during the pandemic.”.Additionally, provincial processors must “implement measures to prevent the spread of infection, including all recommended mitigation and cleaning requirements and adjustments to their work schedules.”.Additional safety screening was implemented in Cargill’s High River location that included temperature checks but Dr. Deena Hinshaw said Monday that it could take more than two weeks for an infected individual to show symptoms. It has been determined in the past month that infected individuals can transmit the virus prior to showing symptoms..“We’ve heard from Canadian beef producers and associations that the priority will be ensuring Canadian supply before they move to exporting. Much of our beef is exported,” Prime Minister Trudeau said in Ottawa Tuesday morning..“But right now the priority will be on domestic supply. We are not, at this point, anticipating shortages of beef, but prices might go up. We will, of course, be monitoring that very, very carefully.”.Vancouver Coastal Health has declared an outbreak at United Poultry Company Ltd., after 28 employees tested positive for COVID-19, potentially the first at a similar facility in the province..Deirdre Mitchell-MacLean is a Senior Reporter with Western Standard.dmaclean@westernstandardonline.com.Twitter @Mitchell_AB
