Red Deer meat-processing plant employees sent home as precaution test negative for COVID-19

RED DEER -- All 13 employees sent home from a Red Deer meat-processing plant last week have tested negative for COVID-19.

On Aug.11, an Olymel employee was sent home after showing symptoms of COVID-19. The individual was tested and tested positive for the coronavirus.

The company then sent home 13 employees who may have been in contact with the individual to get tested.

• Red Deer meat processing plant sends 13 staff home after worker infected with COVID-19

All the tests came back negative and the 13 employees are able to resume work as soon as Friday.

“We are very happy about this,” said Richard Vigneault, spokesperson for Olymel. “We were a little bit concerned but now we are relieved.”

The plant has put in multiple measures to combat the spread of the virus such as temperature checks, additional personal protective equipment and plexiglass dividers.

“We are very serious about this and I think it could be paying off,” said Vigneault.

After the discovery of the first case, Alberta Health Services and the Occupational Health and Safety Organization in Alberta were notified, and they conducted a plant tour on Tuesday.

 “We work closely with the health services in Alberta and as well as with the occupational health and safety services. Both of those organizations visited Tuesday on the plant, and they were satisfied with all the measures in place,” said Vigneault.

The facility employs more than 1,600 people.