As positive COVID-19 cases remain high both provincially and locally, some companies are trying to make it easier for members of the public to find out where those cases are located.
For those companies, they say it's all for transparency's sake.
Thursday’s update from the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit listed 52 people as having tested positive in the region, with 12 of those being Barrie residents.
At least two major businesses with a presence in the city have COVID case trackers that are available on their websites.
On Jan. 1, Loblaw Companies' COVID case tracker posted that two team members had tested positive for the virus at the Zehrs store on Cundles Road East. While one had previously been reported by BarrieToday, the second case was new, with that person’s last shift being Dec. 27.
A Loblaws representative confirmed there are only two cases total in the past 14 days at the Barrie store and when “an additional case is reported, the posting for the store is updated to reflect the additional case.”
The company’s case tracker allows the public to see where there are positive cases in any province or territory.
Loblaws spokesperson Catherine Thomas told BarrieToday that, from the beginning of the pandemic, the company was committed to communicating openly and transparently to not just staff, but to customers, too.
“We voluntarily post all active cases to our national website. We understand that as infection rates across Canada continue to rise, additional cases in our stores may cause concern,” Thomas said.
With 190,000 employees and 2,500 stores across the country, Thomas says she believes the company is doing well during the health crisis.
“I can assure you that the infection rate among our colleagues is below the national average and that the vast majority of employee cases come from community spread and not from inside our stores,” Thomas said.
“We have invested tens of millions of dollars since the beginning of the pandemic on improving and maintaining safety in our stores and believe that for the most part our efforts are working," she added.
Thomas admits providing the tracking information has occasionally had an impact on business, especially in small or rural communities, but that company officials “believe that honesty and transparency with our customers and colleagues is the most important thing as we all manage this together.”
McDonald’s Canada also has a case tracker and when BarrieToday reported on the confirmed Jan. 2 positive case at the north-end location at Livingstone and Bayfield streets, spokesperson Ryma Boussoufa also noted that transparency is key.
“We are as dedicated to transparency throughout the COVID-19 pandemic as we are to safely serving our customers and keeping them and our staff safe,” Boussoufa said at the time. “The tracker allows us to show our communities that we are taking their health seriously.”
To follow the positive COVID-19 cases at Loblaws and McDonald’s, follow the links.
