York Region Public Health confirm over 50 COVID-19 cases linked to FedEx facility in Vaughan

680news.com
Feb. 12, 2021
Lucas Casaletto

York Region Public Health has issued a public notice confirming an outbreak at a FedEx facility in Vaughan resulted in over 50 cases of COVID-19.

The public health unit says 54 cases have been linked to a FedEx Ground located at 45 Di Poce Way.

“A workplace outbreak was declared after information was received indicating approximately 15 workers were suspected cases of COVID-19. Public Health staff have been in regular communication with the company,” said York Region Public Health.

Of the 54 cases, 29 people are from Peel Region, 13 cases are from Toronto, 10 cases are from York Region, with 2 cases confirmed out of Wellington-Dufferin Guelph.

Over half of the confirmed cases had an episode date of December 12, 2020, or earlier.

Most of the affected employees have since recovered, the public health unit confirmed.

Scott Cholewa -- Director, Infectious Disease Control for York Region Public Health -- says while health officials are monitoring the outbreak, the risk to the public remains low at this time.

Cholewa also touched on the decline in daily COVID-19 cases reported across the region in recent days, pointing to residents properly adhering to the stay-at-home order as a result of the positive trend.

“About a month ago or so we were in the nearly 400 [cases], so there’s been a really positive turn of events and it really means that the public is listening to our stay at home order and also the public health measures that are meant there to keep everyone safe,” he told 680 NEWS.

“But I think in order to continue to see the drive down again, it’s continued adherence and what we’re noting is really driving cases is our close contact we have a lot of individuals in these close-contact settings.”

Vaughan Mayor Maurizio Bevilacqua says that while progress has been made, now is not the time to get complacent.

“This workplace outbreak is a reminder that while we have come a long way in our fight against COVID-19, we still have a long way to go,” Bevilacqua said in a statement issued to 680 NEWS.

“I want to commend York Region Public Health for their ongoing efforts to reduce the transmission in our community. Personal responsibility is more important now than ever, especially as the Province gradually reopens the economy. We all have an important role to play in defeating this virus. Stay home, stay safe, save lives.”

Ontario is reporting fewer than a thousand new cases of COVID-19 today, but officials say the tally reflects some underreporting.

The Ministry of Health says the low number -- 945 infections -- is due to ongoing issues as Toronto migrates its case counts to the provincial database.