Thai Union has resumed operations at its cannery in Ghana following its closure last month due to the spread of the coronavirus among the factory’s workers.
The Pioneer Food Cannery (PFC) in Tema, Ghana reopened on 18 May with limited production capacity, which will be ramped up back to full operations over coming days and weeks, Thai Union said in a statement on 20 May. The company will be producing an average of 20,000 metric tons of canned tuna per day, slowly ramping up to its maximum daily production capacity of 120,000 metric tons, All About Ghana reported.
The company, in collaboration with local health officials, has carried out COVID-19 testing and re-testing of its employees several times during the closure.
“This testing showed that we have significantly lower numbers of positive cases than initially indicated and reported,” Thai Union spokesperson John Merva said in the statement.
Local news outlets reported more than 500 cases of coronavirus stemming from the outbreak at the cannery, and Abraham Koomson, head of the Ghana Federation of Labor, said earlier this month a total of 533 cases positive tests for coronavirus were conducted at PFC, according to Reuters.
The factory was shut for disinfection and cleaning on 17 April, after the company received results of the positive test of its employees. It has also collaborated with local authorities to undertake quarantining and tracing measures to mitigate potential risks.
“We are working closely with the authorities on receiving more test results and returning as many people to work as possible. We do not have a firm date for a full return to production but are making every effort to return to normal levels,” a spokesman for Thai Union told SeafoodSource via email on 21 May.
As has been the case with many seafood producers, Bangkok, Thailand-based Thai Union has had to deal with rapidly changing business conditions as a result of the pandemic. In early May, the company said in a public statement accompanying the release of its first quarter results that the global restaurant chain Red Lobster, in which it holds a minority stake, has been hit by the lockdowns in the U.S., with all dining halls being shut down and 60 percent being open for take-out service only.
