Canada: Employee at Ontario's Nuclear Station tests positive for COVID-19

An employee at the Ontario's Pickering Nuclear Generating Station has reportedly been tested positive for the coronavirus, an OPG spokesperson Neal Kelly reportedly confirmed. The Nuclear Station initiated disinfecting the workplace and urged those exposed to the patient to go under a mandatory 14-day quarantine, as per media reports. The spokesperson, however, did not reveal the information as to how many employees were at the risk of infection.

The infected worker at the station had begun showing symptoms of the novel coronavirus earlier in the week. He was immediately isolated from the team soon as he tested positive. He was currently under the medical supervision quarantined at home, Kelly told the Canadian press. As of March 29, Ontario recorded over 1,324 cases of the coronavirus. More than 7,000 samples were pending for the results, as per the media reports.

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75,000 N95 masks donated

The Ontario Power Generation said in a statement that it had previously advised the employees to maintain social distance. Although, not many of its employees were “directly involved” with work from home in running the stations. The Nuclear Generating Station has donated over 75,000 N95 masks for the safety of the health professionals in the provincial hospitals. The donations also included personal protective equipment and over half a million surgical masks, as per the Canadian media reports. The initiative was taken in view of the acute dearth of the medical equipment, especially the masks, in most healthcare facilities owing to the large influx of COVID-19 patients. Canada has confirmed over 7,474 cases and registered 92 fatalities from the disease.

Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, had announced earlier that Canada was expecting a supply aircraft from China over this week. He was quoted as saying that the government had to ensure that all medical equipment and the protective masks were in perfect condition while speaking at the press conference. He said the supply will be thoroughly investigated by the Health Canada Department. Trudeau’s comments come after the Netherlands recalled over 600,000 defective medical face masks imported from China, while both Spain and the Czech Republic, had received faulty test kits, as per the media reports. 

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