Two individuals who work at Leahy Orchards in Franklin have tested positive for COVID-19.
The crisis management team has been closely monitoring the situation over the past week and are currently awaiting the test results from a few other employees who’ve been asked to self isolate based on contact tracing. The two individuals who tested positive have been asked to self-quarantine.
“At this time there is nothing that leads us to believe we’ve experienced community transmission at our company,” says Dane Leahy, the Business Development Coordinator for Leahy Orchards. “Our risk level has been evaluated as low by government bodies that we deal with,” he adds, suggesting that a shutdown of the facility is not required at this time as regular sanitation and hygiene practices are already in place.
“We have asked all of our employees to follow the procedures provided to them prior to this particular situation and to continue to monitor themselves for symptoms of Covid-19,” Leahy says. As the situation evolves, the crisis management team remains in close contact with public health authorities at both the provincial and federal level.
“We remain committed to providing a safe work environment for employees at Leahy Orchards through the procedures and tools we’ve put into place and we will continue to do our part to ensure an adequate food supply in Canada and the United States,” Leahy adds, while noting the company is also deeply committed to respecting and protecting the personal privacy of its employees.
“We are extremely proud of the effort that our team has forward since the beginning of this pandemic, efforts which have allowed us to help keep grocery shelves stocked, to continue supplying hospitals and institutions, and to increase production levels to supply food banks for those in need.” (S.R.)
