BROOKS, ALBERTA – JBS Canada resumed operations on its second shift at its Brooks, Alberta, beef-processing plant on May 21. The company went down to one shift on April 22 following an outbreak of COVID-19 among employees. 

Rob Meijer, JBS Canada spokesperson, said transitioning to two shifts will not increase the number of workers in the plant and that all mitigation strategies will also remain in place. 

“The health and safety of our team members is our top priority. We have been working closely with public health and labor officials each and every day to implement rigorous risk mitigation practices throughout our facility,” Meijer said. 

JBS also said that the company will continue to make all decisions based on the best available data and input from public health officials and feedback from team members. 

“We are confident the JBS beef facility will continue to be a vital part of Canada’s food supply,” Meijer said. “We have been deemed an essential service and take that responsibility very seriously.”

According to a report by CBC News, there are 11 active COVID-19 cases linked to the JBS facility with a total of 650 cases since the start of the outbreak. 

Currently, the JBS Brooks plant and the Cargill beef processing plant in High River, Alberta, are both under investigation by the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).