Testing upon entry resulted in a presumptive positive case for an Alberta resident working at Diavik Diamond Mine. The individual is currently self-isolating in a designated isolation area onsite and is doing well with no symptoms.
Medical staff at the mine is working closely with public health officials to validate the test at Alberta Provincial Laboratory. Contacts at the mine site have been isolated in designated isolation areas. No additional contacts are expected in the NWT – though the case investigation continues.
Contacts were minimized due to heightened precautions taken on charter flights to NWT mines – including direct charter flights from Edmonton to the mine site and mandatory mask use on airplanes and shuttle buses. The individual had also spent minimal time on the work site at the time of receiving a result.
No further details will be provided to protect privacy. As this case continues to be validated, statistics on the GNWT website will not include this presumptive case at this time.
The GNWT would like to remind residents that spreading unconfirmed rumours serves only to spread anxiety and misinformation – and are dangerous to our collective wellbeing.
“Some individuals on Facebook claimed this morning that there were three cases of COVID-19 in the hospital in Yellowknife. This is false.”
The public are reminded that the GNWT will always announce new cases as soon as possible after the circumstances of cases are determined, and patient notification is complete.
“The Government of the Northwest Territories posts case and test updates daily on our website.”
