Five workers at Abbotsford frozen fruit processing plant test positive for COVID-19

ABBOTSFORD (NEWS 1130) — A fruit processing plant in Abbotsford has an outbreak of COVID-19, according to Fraser Health Authority.

The announcement came Friday evening as the health authority says five employees at Nature’s Touch have tested positive for the virus.

.@Fraserhealth says there’s another outbreak of #COVID19 at Nature’s Touch – this is a frozen fruit processing plant in #AbbotsfordBC. Five employees have the virus and the facility has closed voluntarily until Monday.

— Ria Renouf (@riarenouf) May 23, 2020

Nature’s Touch has “voluntarily closed” until Monday as the health authority inspects the site.

Anyone who came in contact with the workers who contracted the virus is being notified.

While most of the outbreaks have been linked to care homes several have been reported at processing plants in the Lower Mainland.

Last week, an outbreak was also reported at Oppenheimer Group, a fruit and vegetable processing plant in Coquitlam.

Two poultry processing plants under the same owner were forced to shut down last month after outbreaks. Superior Poultry saw at least 60 cases of the virus, while United Poultry had more than 30 employees with the virus.

Superior has since reopened and United’s outbreak was declared over Thursday.