Ontario labour ministry investigating Amazon site ordered to shut down over outbreak

Ontario’s Labour Ministry is investigating an Amazon warehouse in Brampton, Ont., where a COVID-19 outbreak prompted public health authorities to order all employees to isolate.

A spokesman for the minister of labour says the investigation began before the workers were ordered to isolate on Friday.

Peel Region’s public health unit ordered Amazon to suspend all shifts at its facility on Heritage Road and have employees isolate for two weeks.

The region’s top doctor says the outbreak that began in October has been linked to more than 600 cases, with nearly half of them detected in the last few weeks.

Amazon has said it plans to appeal the decision to close the facility.

The Labour Ministry says it has received one occupational illness notification for the site since the pandemic began, visited the site 12 times and issued eight orders.