Helping prevent COVID-19 spread at work: a testimonial

Noah Brown, Process Operator – Conversion, had a full week off before Christmas. He decided to take a trip down to Edmonton to spend it with his girlfriend, as they both live alone.


Noah’s girlfriend works in the Emergency Room at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. She wears her personal protective equipment each shift, because she comes into contact with positive Covid-19 patients.

“I had only been in Edmonton for two days when my girlfriend was instructed to get tested for Covid-19 because someone she had been in close contact with had tested positive,” says Noah. “She was showing symptoms, but I did not have any symptoms.

I really wanted to return to work, especially since I was scheduled to clock overtime for working the Christmas statutory holidays.

-Noah Brown

Instead, Noah self-isolated for 14 days, following both Syncrude and the government’s guidance, and went for a Covid-19 test. “I quarantined immediately, although my girlfriend hadn’t yet received her test results (which were positive). I was alone over the holidays from December 24 to January 6,” says Noah. “It was depressing and mentally draining to miss out on time with my family and work.” Noah’s test results also came back positive, highlighting the importance of following government and Alberta Health Services guidelines.

By doing the right thing, Noah prevented the spread of the virus at work among his co-workers and to his family members. He has since recovered from the virus and has returned to work.

Learn more about our COVID-19 protocols.

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