(rdnewsNOW/Sheldon Spackman)

By rdnewsNOW staff

another fatality

Olymel worker’s death linked to COVID outbreak, union says

Mar 3, 2021 | 3:15 PM

The union representing workers at the Olymel pork processing plant in Red Deer says another person has died as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak at the facility.

A spokesperson with UFCW Local 401 says their investigation into the death continues, but that the person who died was an employee at the plant. The union spokesperson could not confirm what date the worker passed away.

Alberta Health is not yet confirming the latest death from the outbreak. As of Wednesday, the official number of deaths linked to the outbreak stands at two, not three as had previously been reported.

“Outbreak investigations are public health processes that involve on-going assessment. Details, including which cases are linked to a particular outbreak, can change as new information emerges throughout the investigative process,” an Alberta Health spokesperson tells rdnewsNOW. “In this case, it would appear one of the deaths has been de-linked to the Olymel outbreak.”

Olymel spokesperson Richard Vigneault says the company is unable to confirm the latest reported death at this time.

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As of Wednesday there are 515 total cases stemming from the outbreak. There are 78 active cases, down from 91 on Tuesday, and 435 recoveries.

The plant was closed on February 15 after cases stemming from the outbreak skyrocketed. A reopening date has yet to be determined.

Red Deer’s official death toll from COVID-19 as of Wednesday remains 26, according to Alberta Health.

RELATED: Some Olymel workers return to closed plant for sanitation training