Portrait of COVID-19 Outbreaks in the Workplaces of the Monteregie Region

Abstract

Objective Describe COVID-19 outbreaks in the workplaces of the Monteregie Region, Quebec, Canada, and evaluate potential risk factors for identifying at least one COVID-19 outbreak in these workplaces. Methods An ecological retrospective cohort study was conducted using deidentified databases of COVID-19 outbreaks that occurred in workplaces from February 27th, 2020, to June 30th, 2021. Results Among 30,489 workplaces studied, 897 workplaces with at least one COVID-19 outbreak were identified. These outbreaks were associated with a sizeable number of workers in the workplace (aOR: 6.78; 95% CI: 5.43-8.47), the presence of temporary foreign workers (aOR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.53-3.33), contacts with clients (aOR: 1.93; 95% CI: 1.68-2.21) and being localized in the Montreal Metropolitan Area (aOR: 1.26; 95% CI: 1.09-1.45). Conclusion These results enable the identification of potential risk factors for COVID-19 outbreaks in workplaces, with the aim of targeting workplaces where infection control and prevention measures might be enhanced or adapted to improve workers’ health.