Cargill halts production at London plant

Cargill idles London processing plant for two weeks in response to growing Covid-19 outbreak

THE CARGILL POULTRY processing plant at 10 Cuddy Boulevard is halting production effective Tuesday in response to a growing Covid-19 outbreak at the plant.

The plant, which employs roughly 900 people and processes about 100,000 chickens daily, says at least 82 active cases are currently associated with the outbreak ― a big jump from the nine cases the Middlesex-London Health Unit reported one week ago.

According to Cargill, the move to idle the plant was taken “out of an abundance of caution,” adding that employees will receive a weekly guarantee of 36 hours of pay during the shutdown.

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The company also says it has made testing available to all employees and is working with the MLHU and other health units to ensure that appropriate health measures are in place.

“As we continue to prioritize the health and safety of Cargill employees, we have decided to temporarily idle our London protein facility,” the company said in a released statement. “This was a difficult decision for our team, who is operating an essential service and are committed to delivering food for families across Canada and ensuring the resilience of our supply chain. But ultimately, our employee’s safety and well-being come first. They are everyday heroes on the front lines of our food system.”