KFL&A Public Health is asking local construction workers to routinely get tested for COVID-19, even if they have no symptoms.
This comes on the back of a major COVID-19 outbreak at a local construction site that has led to more than 60 cases over the last week.
“This initiative will be a temporary measure put in place while the region continues to report high levels of COVID-19 activity, especially variants of concern that have a higher transmission rate,” the health unit said Monday.
Starting Tuesday, the health unit asks that all local construction workers get tested every two weeks at the Beechgrove testing site.
The site will stay open from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays to accommodate these workers.
The health unit has provided a separate booking link for construction workers only.
Last week, Dr. Kieran Moore, medical officer of health for the region, said he believed the B.1.1.7 variant, a more contagious strain of the virus, was driving cases at the Pomerleau construction site that experienced the outbreak. Moore said he was surprised by the number of cases found at the site because as he saw it, all best practices were being followed. He believes that cases spread through some social contact outside of work.
The Ministry of Labour investigated the outbreak and found there were no breaches at the site. Still, since April 8, when the latest stay-at-home order was put in place, the ministry has visited 23 construction sites in Kingston and laid 62 orders and requirements at a number of those sites. The ministry said it could not provide details on what orders or which sites until early June.
As of Sunday, the KFL&A region has 130 active cases of COVID-19.
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