Ferrero shut down their Brantford, Ont. plant on Tuesday after seven workers tested positive for COVID-19, according to a spokesperson.
In a statement to Global News, corporate communications director Stephanie Cass said the move was out of an “abundance of caution.”
“This afternoon we decided to suspend operations at the Brantford plant following confirmation of a total of seven cases of COVID-19 among plant employees,” Cass said.
“These employees worked in the same areas and had not been in the plant for almost two weeks before getting their results.”
The entire plant is expected to undergo an assessment and deep cleaning, according to Cass.
No timeline was given for a resumption of operations. The company says it will continue to pay employees.
On Friday, the company shut down two departments of the plant after three employees tested positive for the novel coronavirus.
Ferrero told Global News in a statement that the cases came within’ a week and that all three employees were already self-isolating for at more than a week before confirmation of their tests.
The Italian-based confectioner’s Brantford plant, which opened in 2006 and supplies product for North America and Australia, employs more than 1,000 people.
The company is best known for manufacturing Nutella, Tic Tacs and Ferrero Rocher chocolates.