Maple Leaf halts work at Ontario plant after three COVID-19 cases

Maple Leaf Foods is suspending operations in its poultry plant in Brampton, Ont., after three employees at the facility tested positive for COVID-19.

The company says it's deep cleaning the plant including common areas and offices as it completes an investigation into the cases.

Maple Leaf says an additional COVID-19 case has occurred in an employee at a plant in Hamilton, but the worker had not been present at the plant for two weeks before the diagnosis.

It says it has completed thorough sanitation at that plant and it is fully operating.

In addition to its normal cleaning and use of personal protective equipment at its plants, the company says it has increased the cleaning of all common areas and taken steps to ensure spacing on production lines where possible.

Maple Leaf Foods is a producer of food products under several brands including Maple Leaf and Schneider's.