Manitoba Hydro now says 16 workers at its at Keeyask Generating Station have tested positive for COVID-19 and tests for another 15 have been deemed “not clear.”
The latest cases come as the Crown corporation said Monday it has completed testing the construction site’s entire workforce — 764 employees — an endeavour started following the first confirmed positive test of a worker at the site Oct. 25.
Hydro said the tests indicating a “not clear” result will be verified by a second test through Manitoba’s Cadham Provincial Laboratory.
Hyrdo says contract tracing has been done for all workers testing positive and those who have received “not clear” initial test result, and all affected employees and their close contacts are now in special isolation dorms at the site.
As of Monday, 90 workers are in isolation at the site, while another 35 workers have been transported offsite to complete their isolation.
The news comes after Hydro announced plans Saturday to reduce staff at the Keeyask Generating Station project site to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Hydro says it had also previously stopped importing new workers to the site, with the exception of those deemed critical to site operation.
No timeline has been established for when regular work rotations will resume following the temporary reduction.
The Keeyask Generating Station project site is roughly 725 km north of Winnipeg on the lower Nelson River.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus. In some provinces and municipalities across the country, masks or face coverings are now mandatory in indoor public spaces.
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