COVID-19 cluster declared at Trans Mountain site near Valemount, B.C.

A cluster of COVID-19 cases is impacting operations at a Trans Mountain worksite in British Columbia’s northern interior.

Sixteen employees and contractors in the Valemount area have tested positive. Another 50 close contacts are now in self-isolation.

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Northern Health has referred to the cases as a “cluster” rather than an outbreak. The health authority says the majority of infections were not acquired at the site and there is little evidence of ongoing transmission among employees.

The health authority is urging Trans Mountain staff, and residents in the Valemount area, to take preventive measures, such as frequent hand-washing, mask-wearing, and getting vaccinated, as COVID-19 continues to circulate.

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In light of the cluster, the company has implemented further COVID-19 safety measures.

In a statement issued Friday, Northern Health said it has been working with Trans Mountain to monitor the cluster since early August.

Health officials on Friday reported 717 new COVID-19 cases, the highest daily case count since early May. There are 163 active cases of the disease in Northern Health, the province said Friday.