Wondering what to do at your workplace should an employee test positive for COVID?
David Tantalo, Manager of Healthy Environments with the Renfrew County and District Health Unit says not to worry- the RCDHU will provide you with guidance appropriate to your situation.
In the extreme, a workplace may be required to close and at the very least, a thorough cleaning and sanitation will be required.
The worksite’s Joint Health and Safety Committee and the Ministry of Labour are among other agencies to be considered as stakeholders in the reporting process as they may have requirements of their own.
Tantalo says that while the employee’s privacy must be respected, transparency with other staff members is essential.
With confirmed COVID-19 cases rising daily, the Manager of Healthy Environments says the RCDHU is notified of every positive result and begins contact tracing right away; it is the Health Unit that will contact and advise individual coworkers of their appropriate course of action.
Tantalo says employers should visit the RCDHU website and scroll to the document entitled COVID-19 Guidance: Workplace Outbreak.
