13 active COVID-19 cases now confirmed at Site C project

The number of COVID-19 cases isincreasing at the Site C dam site, with 13 active cases now linked to thehydroelectric megaproject,according to BCHydro.

Spokesperson David Conway says infected and exposed employees have been identified and are isolating.

Some of the cases 11 of which are related to one another are believed to have originated in a contractor's offices, which have been emptied and disinfected, he said.

"We are taking this situation very seriously," Conway said in an email to CBC.

Some staff are also working from home and monitoring for symptoms, he added.

The Site C dam near Fort St. John, B.C., thelargest infrastructure project undertaken in the province's history, has been dogged by cost overruns and controversy.

Construction has also been slowed by the pandemic.

As the number of COVID-19 cases rises at the construction site, Conwaysaid there's been regular contact with the Northern Health Authority and contact tracing and containment measures are being taken.

Northern Health has provided advice on how to reconfigure seating on shuttle busses to increase physical distancing between passengers.

The AstraZeneca-Oxford vaccination program on site resumes April 22 for workers over the age of 40. Around 1,430 vaccines doses have been administered at Site C up to this point.

In March, BC Hydro said more than 2,300 workers were expected to be on site by late spring, with additional workers expected in summer.

A WorkSafeBC spokesperson said the agency is aware ofthe COVID-19 situation at Site C and is working with the employer and health authority to inspect the worksite.

CBChas also contacted Northern Health for comment.