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NEW: the City of Toronto has started publicly reporting workplace outbreak data, including naming workplaces with significant workplaces. A thread on why that matters, after months of reporting on it: https://www.thestar.com/business/2021/01/04/health-authorities-to-identify-workplaces-with-significant-covid-19-outbreaks.html
Early on in the pandemic, experts warned about the role of precarious work in long-term care and what that meant for everyone’s safety. @katecallen and I from what feels like a million years ago (March): https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/03/27/how-flaws-in-the-way-ontarios-nursing-homes-are-run-put-residents-and-staff-at-risk-from-covid-19.html
Essential workplaces have been a significant place of risk from the start. In April, the Toronto Board of Health pointed out the need for good data including occupational data. At the time, the MOH was only tracking infected health care workers https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/04/21/toronto-public-health-to-start-collecting-covid-19-data-on-race-in-a-bid-to-track-health-inequities.html
But other workers were at risk too, as was clear early on: https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/05/11/a-study-urged-better-standards-for-migrant-workers-housing-nothing-was-done-now-covid-19-has-struck.html
In late spring, a Toronto bakery chain saw a massive outbreak - more than 180 workers tested positive - but this was not reported to the public. From @jyangstar and I: https://www.thestar.com/business/2020/08/10/more-than-180-workers-at-this-toronto-bakery-got-covid-19-but-the-public-wasnt-informed-why-arent-we-being-told-about-workplace-outbreaks.html
In September, the Toronto Board of Health issued another call for transparency about workplace outbreaks to protect “vulnerable populations” we knew were disproportionately affected by COVID-19: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/09/21/which-workplaces-are-hard-hit-by-covid-toronto-residents-arent-being-told-the-board-of-health-wants-to-change-that.html
Since most health units still weren’t providing details, we obtained workers’ comp data in October to show which employers saw the largest number of COVID-19 claims. It showed the heavy toll on workers in nursing homes, farms, and factories: https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/10/11/public-health-wont-tell-us-which-employers-have-covid-19-outbreaks-but-we-obtained-wsib-data-to-help-paint-a-picture.html
But it’s still hard to get a complete picture. For example, in this December investigation into Amazon, I was able to confirm 25 cases in one Brampton warehouse - but there were no publicly reported details about total number. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2020/12/10/amazon-warehouse-workers-saw-injury-rates-double-then-covid-hit-inside-a-hidden-safety-crisis.html
As a result of the new data, we now know of three Toronto workplaces with "significant" outbreaks: DECIEM. Sofina Foods, and TTM Technologies (circuit board manufacturer).
Cumulative data shows warehouses + manufacturing have had the largest number of workplace outbreaks
Cumulative data shows warehouses + manufacturing have had the largest number of workplace outbreaks
naming workplaces with significant *outbreaks*. Sorry. I am tired and it's only Jan 4th.
