Twelve workers at the City of Edmonton’s recycling plant have tested positive for COVID-19, prompting the facility to close indefinitely.Interim city manager Adam Laughlin said Friday the city was made aware of the outbreak Thursday after first being informed of one positive case on June 9. The materials recovery facility (MRF) at the city’s northeast Waste Management Centre was closed immediately after the first case was detected and workers were sent home.
The 64,000-square-foot plant, where collected recyclables are sorted by hand on a conveyor belt, is owned by the city but has been run by contractor Suez Canada Waste Services since 2014. All of the workers who tested positive are employed by Suez, Laughlin said. “There is no public exposure to this facility or public access,“ he said. “Our thoughts and well wishes go out to those employees and we wish them a speedy recovery.”
Initially, Laughlin announced 10 workers tested positive, but Alberta Health Services (AHS) confirmed late Friday afternoon 12 workers contracted the virus between June 5 and 9. All individuals considered exposed to the outbreak have been notified through contact tracing, AHS spokesman James Wood said.