TORONTO – COVID-19 Update – Six employees of the St Lawrence Market have tested positive for COVID-19. Toronto Public Health is sharing how the employees contracted the virus.
Toronto Public Health is conducting an investigation related to these cases including contact tracing. The employees last worked at the Market on December 19, December 21 and December 24. All close contacts have been notified and are self-isolating and monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days from the last possible date of exposure.
However the information that Toronto Health does provide gives a solid example on how easy the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted.
- Employee A was determined to have contracted COVID-19 from a family member in their household.
- Employee B and C work together.
- Employee D works in another store but commuted to work with Employee B.
- Employee E has a family member in their household with COVID-19.
- Employee F commuted to work with Employee E.
- The COVID-19 cases of Employees A, B, C & D have not been determined to be related to the cases of COVID-19 from Employees E & F.
To protect the privacy of the individuals the Market cannot disclose the identity of the people who have tested positive.
The risk to the general public is low, as the interactions with employees with infections would have been brief (lasting 1-2 minutes), while employees and patrons were wearing masks and maintaining physical distance as much as possible.
There are currently high levels of community transmission of COVID-19 in Toronto.
Transmission can be related to living in the same household, commuting to work in the same car, or working in close contact with a person who is infected with COVID-19. This is why employees and patrons must take appropriate preventive measures at all times.
St. Lawrence Market continues to work closely with Toronto Public Health to ensure the safety of all customers, employees, merchants, vendors, farmers and everyone inside the St. Lawrence Market. St. Lawrence Market will remain open to provide food access to Toronto residents and the community. The provision of fresh food also has positive health benefits, especially during the circumstances of a Province-wide Shutdown.
During the COVID-19 health emergency the St. Lawrence Market Complex has implemented extensive precautions to keep all customers, merchants, farmers and vendors safe and help stop the spread of COVID-19. Precautions include strict line management, including while outdoors in lines, mandatory use of masks in all areas of the St. Lawrence Market Complex, enhanced sanitization, appropriate physical distancing, entrance management and continuously monitored capacity management at all times in all Market buildings.
All people in Toronto should be adopting steps for self-protection. Individuals should only consider leaving their homes for essential activities such as work, education and fresh air and exercise. As much as possible, residents are asked to limit contact to only those in the same household, keep at least six feet apart from people not in the same household and wear a mask when outside of their homes, especially in indoor settings and when physical distancing is difficult. Residents should wash hands frequently and remain at home when ill.
