Another three employees at the TTC’s Queensway garage have tested positive for COVID-19 and public health officials are now asking maintenance staff at the facility to remain at home for a week as a precaution.

The latest cases come in the wake of eight maintenance workers at the garage refusing to work this past weekend due to unsafe conditions.

The union representing TTC workers has also called for mass-testing at the facility.

So far a total of six employees have tested positive for COVID-19 at the Queensway garage and the union representing TTC workers has said that other employees at the facility are awaiting test results.

Speaking with CP24 on Thursday, Amalgamated Transit Union International Vice President Manny Sforza said that the TTC put his members at risk by not immediately shutting down the facility when it realized that there was a positive case. Instead, he said that a decision was made to only send home workers who were on the same shift as the infected employee.

“We are very concerned that the number (of positive cases) is going to continue to grow because it is quite clear that the TTC didn’t take the appropriate steps two weeks ago when the first member tested positive at that location,” he said.

Sforza said that the TTC previously shut down an entire maintenance facility at its Hillcrest complex after an employee tested positive but took a relaxed approach at the Queensway garage and is now paying the price.

He said that he is also “extremely concerned” with reports of workers at the facility being sent to other TTC maintenance facilities after the initial positive test.

“If you want to mitigate the spread of this virus that is the last thing you should be doing, so we are not happy with the steps the TTC has been taking,” he told CP24.

Garage remains open

The TTC says that the Queensway garage remains open with work now being done by non-unionized staff.

They say that facility has also received “another deep clean” in the wake of the latest positive tests.

Speaking with CP24 on Thursday afternoon, CEO Rick Leary said that while the situation at Queensway garage has been a concern for some time, the TTC has consistently followed the advice of public health officials at all times.

“We always consult with them on the moves and the decision was made (Wednesday night) to ask all maintenance staff of that garage to stay home through April 30 out of an abundance of caution,” he said. “I can tell you that our employees are our greatest asset and safety is paramount for everything we do.”

In a statement issued late Thursday afternoon, ATU Local 113 President Carlos Santos said that while the TTC has now made the right decision by asking all workers to isolate at home, it had “completely mismanaged” the outbreak in the lead up to that decision, as had public health officials that were guiding its response.

“I am calling on (Medical Officer of Health) Dr. Eileen De Villa and Toronto Public Health to step up and do more to protect TTC workers’ health during this pandemic. Toronto Public Health and the TTC must do everything they should to avoid another coronavirus outbreak like we have at Queensway Garage,” the statement reads.

Toronto Public Health has advised any employee who has worked at least one shift at the facility since April 12 to stay home until April 30.

A total of 28 TTC employees have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, including the six maintenance workers at Queensway garage.