Canada Post employee at Ancaster facility tests positive for COVID-19

Canada Post has confirmed that one employee has tested positive for the coronavirus at its sorting facility in the Ancaster Business Park and six other employees are self-isolating.

In an email, Canada Post stated it informed employees on the morning of Oct. 20 that the employee had tested positive for the virus. The employee was last at work on Oct. 16 and was asymptomatic at that time, said Canada Post.

Emilie Tobin, spokesperson for the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, confirmed that one person tested positive at the Ancaster depot.

They are currently quarantining," said Tobin. Canada Post has informed the union that the facility has since been cleaned and is safe for work."

After informing Hamilton public health officials of the positive case, six employees who may have been in contact" with the employee were sent home as a precautionary measure."

Canada Post stated those employees are self-isolating and will follow the guidance of public health with respect to when they can safely return to work."

The agency said a complete full sanitization" of the facility located at Tradewind Drive was conducted on Oct. 20. Employees were also notified of the positive case.

We are putting safety first and will continue to evaluate the situation, work with public health officials and our local joint health and safety committee and keep our employees and the public informed," stated Canada Post.

The positive coronavirus test at the Canada Post facility in Ancaster comes after a positive test was confirmed in connection with a private event held at the Ancaster Sports Complex on Lower Lions Club Road on Oct. 16.

Hamilton public health officials state that all participants and spectators of this private event have been identified as close contacts and are to immediately self-isolate, monitor for symptoms and call the city's COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848, option #3.

Hamilton's coronavirus case count jumped by 31 on Oct. 22, and another person has died because of the virus. So far, there have been 48 people who have died due to the virus.

The most recent victim was a man in his 70s who passed away in hospital on Oct. 20.

There have been 1,616 cases as of Oct. 22 and of those, 166 are active, while 1,400 are resolved.

Hamilton's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Elizabeth Richardson said earlier that the city is seeing a significant" increase in cases that began in mid-August.

We absolutely have a lot more testing going on than we did in the first wave," said Richardson. But we are definitely seeing many more cases."