A COVID-19 outbreak has been identified at a Vancouver chicken processing plant in the Downtown Eastside.

Today (April 21), Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) declared an outbreak among staff at United Poultry Company located at 534 East Cordova Street.

After VCH received a positive lab test result on April 19 from an employee at the plant, a VCH public health team visited the facility to inspect it on April 20.

Out of 71 staff who were present at the facility, 27 more employees tested positive, and the plant was closed on April 20.

Consequently, all employees have been told to self-isolate.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has stated that there hasn’t been any evidence that food is a source of route of transmission for the virus. Accordingly, the CFIA won’t be issuing a recall for chicken products from this plant.