NH Food Plant To Shut Down Due To Coronavirus Positive Workers

PORTSMOUTH, NH — High Liner Foods Incorporated, a leading North American frozen seafood company, today provided a COVID-19 operational update for its Portsmouth Plant.

The company advised that it has temporarily suspended all production at its Portsmouth plant where it has confirmed positive COVID-19 cases.

High Liner Foods is activating its coronavirus response plan including deep cleaning, contact tracing and risk assessment. High Liner Foods will resume operations at its Portsmouth plant as soon as it is responsible to do so.

High Liner Foods noted that government experts in Canada and the U.S have made it clear that COVID-19 is not a food-borne illness and there is currently no evidence that food is a likely source or route of transmission of COVID-19.

“Our priority is the health and safety of our employees who are doing essential work supplying food to families across North America,” said Rod Hepponstall, the president and Chief Executive Officer of the company. “We are maximizing all available resources to safeguard our people and ensure a steady supply of frozen seafood to meet the needs of retailers and consumers across North America during this unprecedented time.”

Across all of its production facilities, High Liner Foods is adhering to guidance issued by all government agencies including the U.S. Centre for Disease Control and Health Canada. The company is also collaborating with the food regulators and local public health authorities and supplementing its normal health and safety procedures with enhanced daily sanitation in its plants and use of standard personal protective equipment that protects employee health in the following ways:

• Increased, frequent sanitation of all common areas like breakrooms, washrooms, locker rooms and cafeterias
• Careful social distancing through increased spacing on production lines and on production floors where possible
• Staggered breaks and shifts to prevent groups from forming
• Creation of additional break rooms to decrease the density of people during breaks
• Frequent communication on health and safety procedures and protocols
• Plans to introduce temperature screening at our production facilities as they are received.

The company remains committed to supporting all of it stakeholders during this challenging time, especially the health and safety of its employees and assistance to customers and suppliers.