Maintenance cranes are seen at the Methanex plant site in Medicine Hat in early September. The company disclosed on Monday that two employees at the facility have tested positive for COVID-19 and are now isolating.--NEWS PHOTO COLLIN GALLANT
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Methanex reported Monday morning that two workers at its Medicine Hat plant site have tested positive for COVID-19.
That corresponds with an increase of two active cases when provincial officials updated case count for locations in the province on Monday afternoon.
The company continued operating this spring and in late summer began a substantial maintenance project at the facility in the city’s northwest.
It is not immediately clear if those affected are company employees or contractors.
A Methanex spokesperson said Monday that the two people and those they came in close contact are now self isolating.
“We can confirm that two workers at our Medicine Hat plant have tested positive for COVID-19,” reads a statement. “Both workers and their close contacts are isolating as per the provincial health requirements.”
Two cases does not qualify as an outbreak according to AHS protocols for public reporting.
Cases in non-health or outside long-term care facilities must reach five before they appear on a province-wide list.
Two cases is the standard in health facilities, and only then when it is believed that the spread occurred within the facility.
Methanex states that its goal has been to meet or exceed protocols for safe working set out by provincial government health officials.
That includes pre-access screening, increased sanitation, mandatory mask use, distancing and providing barriers as well as limiting non-essential personnel on site.
Medicine Hat’s active case total sat at three on Friday when it was last reported prior to the weekend. New figures are released at about 3 p.m. on weekdays, with Monday’s totals comprising the weekend. The total late on Sept. 14 showed five active cases.
