COVID-19 in Ontario WorkplacesAccording to an analysis done by the Ontario Health Coalition, the number of COViD-19 cases in the manufacturing sector in Ontario soared by 76 per cent over the two week period from November 18 to December 2. The Peel region is one of the epicentres of COVID-19 infections in Canada with a rate of 2,067 cases per 100,000 population, the highest in Ontario. Brampton accounts for almost two-thirds of infections in the region. This region is known for its warehouses. Nearly 43 per cent of the economy is in the warehousing and logistics sector, and $1.8 billion worth of goods pass through the region each day. Records from the region show at least 25 COVID-19 cases among workers at one Brampton Amazon warehouse alone. Amazon will not confirm the number of frontline staff who have tested positive for the virus. However, a December 23 National Post article claims to have it from a source familiar with the data that more than 400 staff have tested positive at Amazon's four facilities in Peel region. Reports from the Warehouse Workers Centre, a community organization in Brampton that provides resources and advocates for better jobs and working conditions in the warehouse sector, indicate that 22 per cent of the cases reported in the Peel region can be traced to industrial settings as compared to 5 per cent from events, ceremonies and religious services.
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