The Eden Valley Poultry processing plant in Berwick, Nova Scotia, will be closed for a period of at least two weeks due to an outbreak of COVID-19.
Four cases of the coronavirus were detected at the plant in the past two days, according to a notice issued on December 11 from the Nova Scotia provincial government.
“We are taking strong and decisive action early to break any further transmission of the virus at the plant and into the community,” Premier Stephen McNeil said in a press release. “We know this will be a challenge for the workers, farmers and other businesses that rely on the plant, but we need to try to prevent COVID-19 from getting a foothold anywhere in the province.”
The plant, which employs about 450, was closed December 9 for testing. All staff at the plant have been tested, and further results are expected soon. Retesting of employees is also planned.
Eden Valley Poultry, Canada’s largest privately owned poultry company, formed in 2008 through a venture between United Poultry Producers Incorporated and Maple Lodge Holding Corporation, according to the company’s website. The company acquired the Berwick plant from Maple Leaf Foods, which closed the plant in 2011. Eden Valley Poultry facility refurbished and reopened the plant in 2012.
Both broilers and turkeys are processed at the plant.
The Novia Scotia public health agency plans to open temporary COVID-19 testing facilities in the area and will expand the hours at its current testing facilities in the Annapolis Valley.
“We haven’t seen community spread in the Berwick area but COVID-19 is a stealth virus, and having asymptomatic people get tested within the community will help us get ahead of that,” said Dr. Robert Strang, the province’s chief medical officer. “I encourage everyone to get tested.”
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