A COVID-19 outbreak was declared at Saputo’s Saskatoon dairy plant on Tuesday by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA) after a single employee tested positive for the virus.
Saputo spokesperson Sandy Vassiadis confirmed to 650 CKOM the employee worked at the Wakooma Street facility near Highway 16.
She said the case was discovered on Monday, and the company ordered a “deep clean” of any areas where the employee may have been in the plant.
“That can take anywhere from a few hours up to a day,” she said.
Vassiadis said an investigation is ongoing into who the employee may have been in close contact with at the facility, and that any close contacts would be told to self-monitor for symptoms.
She added the plant had already instituted physical distancing, hand-washing and workplace sanitizing procedures to minimize any COVID-19 risk.
Saputo’s Wakooma St. plant employs 250 workers.
SHA CEO Scott Livingstone told reporters on Tuesday there was no need for a public service announcement regarding the case due to the low risk of transmission to the public.