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Montreal, March 27, 2020 — Late this afternoon, the Montreal Port Authority was informed that an employee of the Maritime Employers Association (MEA) had tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with current health guidelines, the facilities that this worker may have used at Port are temporarily closed and are being disinfected until the reopening scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday.

"We are truly sorry to learn this news and wish this employee a speedy recovery. We’re serious about the sanitary measures throughout our facilities and, together with our partners, we will keep intensifying them," said Sylvie Vachon, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority. There is a temporary slowdown due to this situation in the terminals where this employee may have worked. Marine and rail operations, as well as terminal operations that do not require the presence of MEA employees, are ongoing.

In accordance with Transport Canada and Health Canada, since March 11 the Port of Montreal and its partners have been deploying preventive measures in all its terminals to limit any potential spread of the virus. This is the first and only case of COVID-19 identified at the Port of Montreal.

About the Port of Montreal

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada and a diversified transshipment centre that handles all types of goods: containerized and non-containerized cargo, liquid bulk and dry bulk. The only container port in Quebec, it is a destination port served by the largest shipping lines in the world. It is also an intermodal hub with a service offering that is unique in North America, featuring its own rail network directly dockside connected to Canada’s two national rail networks. The MPA also operates a Cruise Terminal and a Port Centre.

The MPA factors economic, social and environmental components into its corporate initiatives. This commitment is governed by a sustainable development policy whose guiding principles focus on involvement, cooperation and accountability. Port activity supports 19,000 jobs and generates $2.6 billion in economic benefits annually.

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