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2 COVID-19 variant cases in Waterloo Region connected with outbreak at Nunavut mine

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Study: Two COVID-19 vaccine shots may be effective against India variant – May 23, 2021

Waterloo Public Health issued a warning over the weekend to anyone who may have come to the area from the Mary River Mine site in Nunavut since April 30.

On Sunday, the agency asked residents who arrived in Waterloo Region from the area to immediately self-isolate and call 519-575-4400.

It says that an outbreak was declared at the mine earlier this month involving the B.1.617 variant, which was first identified in India.

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Waterloo Public Health says anyone who has returned to that area since the end of last month is considered a high-risk contact.

The agency says it has been notified of one local case and seven high-risk contacts connected with the outbreak at the mine.

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Late Monday afternoon, a spokesperson for the agency told Global News that a second B.1.617 variant case had also been connected to the outbreak at the mine.

Waterloo Public Health says it is issuing the advisory in the hope that anyone else who may have returned from the mine is aware of the need to self-isolate.

It is asking anyone who returned from the site over the past 14 days to self-isolate for 14 days, get tested as soon as possible, as well as 10 days into their self-isolation.

As of Sunday, there have been at least nine cases of the B.1.617 variant reported by Waterloo Public Health.

 

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