Employees at Fortinos and McMaster University test positive for COVID-19
Cases of COVID-19 have been reported at two Fortinos grocery store locations and McMaster University.
Loblaw was notified Thursday that a staff member at the Fortinos at 1550 Upper James St. on Hamilton Mountain had tested positive on a presumptive test for COVID-19," according to a listing on their COVID-19 case tracker.
The last day the employee worked was March 13.
The company was also notified Thursday that a worker at the Fortinos located at 50 Dundurn St. S. had tested positive for the virus. Their last shift was on March 12.
The new cases follow employees at both the Ancaster Fortinos, as well as an Upper Stoney Creek Fortinos testing positive for COVID-19 earlier this week.
When a worker tests positive, Loblaw said they work closely with public health and follow their guidance to ensure proper notification of close contacts and required cleaning and sanitization in our stores."
It's unclear how many staff members were affected by the cases or if any were recommended to self-isolate as a precaution. The database doesn't specify which part of the store the employees worked in.
In a release Wednesday, McMaster said they had been notified of a case involving a staff member.
According to the university, the employee tested positive on March 12 and was last inside the David Braley Health Sciences Centre in downtown Hamilton on March 10.
All impacted areas" have been thoroughly" cleaned and Hamilton public health is managing contact tracing.
When a person notifies McMaster they are awaiting test results and spent time on campus, all areas the person visited within the last 72 hours are cleaned. If the test comes back positive, the university does additional cleaning.
According to McMaster, they notify the university community any time they are informed" of a case involving an individual who has spent any time on campus even if just for a few minutes."
Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com