Two new Covid-19 cases were reported in the Northwest Territories Tuesday.
According to the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer, one of the cases is an out-of-territory worker related to the Gahcho Kué Mine outbreak, while the other involves an out-of-territory seasonal worker in Yellowknife.
photo courtesy DeBeers Canada
The OCPHO states that there is currently no risk to the public or risk to small communities.
Dr. Kami Kandola, chief public health officer stated that the diagnosis was confirmed in an individual who is in quarantine.
There are now 19 cases of confirmed Covid-19 diagnoses related to the Gahcho Kué Mine.
Of those, 11 are from out-of-territory and the remaining eight are NWT residents.
Kandola also stated that 11 people with Covid have recovered and eight diagnoses are still acdtive.
"The new diagnosis results from continued monitoring and repeated testing of all Gahcho Kué employees. The individual is isolating and doing well," Kandola stated.
"Because of unknown transmission chains, the CPHO determined that every worker departing the mine site on February 22 and an3 is a contact to Covid-19."
On Feb. 3, the CPHO declared an outbreak at the diamond mine northeast of Yellowknife.
An outbreak in a closed facility is defined by the OCPHPO as "one or more confirmed or probable case(s) of COVID-19 where infection is acquired within the facility."
Over the month of February, medical staff have been monitoring and assessing all worksite employees, Kandola stated.
Mining operations were suspended Feb. 6.
"As of February 23, 75 NWT workers have completed their isolation and will be returning home," she stated. "Another 30 out-of-territory workers have also completed their 14-day isolation in Yellowknife and will be repatriated to their home provinces."
Crew change
As part of the crew change of the entire essential services team onsite, there have been 57 NWT workers and six non-NWT workers brought to Yellowknife over the last two days. They are in an isolation centre for 14 days.
Sixty-seven out-of-territory workers were returned to their home provinces.
"Every NWT resident leaving the mine site is required to self-isolate and monitor their health for 14 days," Kandola stated. "The NWT is working with other jurisdictions to safely repatriate out-of-territory workers."
Tuesday's news release states that Kandola's office was notified of a seasonal worker diagnosed with Covid in Yellowknife on Feb. 21.
"It is believed that the individual contracted COVID-19 before they travelled to the territory," the release states.
The OCPHO news release states that public health investigations are ongoing and known close contacts have been investigated.
The investigation is ongoing.