Manitoba Hydro says Keeyask Generating Station now free of coronavirus

An outbreak of COVID-19 at Manitoba Hydro’s Keeyask Generating Station appears to be over.

In a release Friday, Hydro said a third round of COVID-19 testing done at the project’s construction site this week found no new cases of the virus.

The Crown corporation says the site’s entire workforce of 617 was tested between Tuesday and Thursday.

“We are happy to see no new cases. It’s a reflection of a true team effort. We also recognize the chance of more COVID-19 cases at site remains given the current state of the pandemic across the province,” said Dave Bowen, director of the Keeyask project for Manitoba Hydro.

“We will continue to take all reasonable steps to allow the project to proceed while protecting the health and safety of Keeyask workers, their families and their communities.

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“Our response plan will continue to adapt as the state of the pandemic changes and will continue to be informed by the latest public health guidance.”

Hydro announced it was reducing the number of people at the project site, roughly 725 km north of Winnipeg on the lower Nelson River, after the first positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed there in late October.

Hydro said Friday all 39 employees who tested positive COVID-19 have since recovered.

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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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