There is no added risk to NWT communities or to Diavik Diamond Mine following the confirmed case of Covid-19 at the site on Sept. 10, said the Chief Public Health Officer Kami Kandola on Tuesday.
In an investigation of the case by the medical team at Diavik, all contacts were tested with results coming back negative and affirmed by Alberta Precision Labs.
“The risk of an outbreak is deemed resolved,” Kandola said.
The 21 contacts were released from isolation on Monday evening.
Diavik is working with health authorities to transport the individual who tested positive home safely. Medical care wasn’t required in the case and the individual didn’t interact with other NWT communities.
That person is said to be from Ontario and the case would not be included in the NWT’s count of Covid cases, according to Public Health Agency of Canada regulations.
Kandola added that NWT residents should feel safe about friends or family members returning to their communities after the rotation at Diavik as there is no risk of community transmission.
“If you are returning to work for rotation, you should feel confident that you’re doing so just as safely as you did last time,” she said. “And if you were onsite during the incident, know that the controls worked to reduce risk and protect you while you were (there).”
The confirmed case at Diavik was the since July, when an Alberta resident was later confirmed to be positive for Covid-19.