Ekati's Covid-19 Outbreak Comes to an End

RAPAPORT... Regional health authorities for Canada's Northwest Territories have declared the coronavirus flare-up at the Ekati mine to be over.The Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) announced an outbreak at the site on May 31, after two employees were confirmed positive for the virus during regular testing, it said last week. The Northwest Territories defines an outbreak in a closed area as one or more confirmed or probable cases of Covid-19 where infection happened within the facility.The OCPHO has been working with Ekati owner Arctic Canadian Diamond Company over the past month to monitor the situation. The company quarantined workers at the mine, postponed regularly scheduled flights to the site, and delayed crew changes.Both workers recovered at the mine camp, with no hospitalization required, the OCPHO added. Arctic has not indicated whether the outbreak will affect its quarterly production.Image: The main camp at the Ekati mine. (Arctic Canadian Diamond Corporation)