Baffinland reports presumptive positive COVID-19 case at Mary River Mine

Baffinland Iron Mines says there is a presumptive positive case of COVID-19 at its Mary River Mine, about 176 kilometres southwest of Pond Inlet, Nunavut.

The employee who produced the presumptive positive result was asymptomatic and is in isolation, says the mining company in a Thursday press release.

Baffinland says it has begun contact tracing and has isolated people who came in close contact with the employee.

"All employees are doing well and remain asymptomatic," reads the release.

This is thefourth time the company has reporteda presumptive positive at the Mary River project. The previous three cases turned out to be negative.

The company says it tests all employees upon arrival at the mine using an on-site, portable COVID-19 testing lab. All employees are tested again five days after their arrival.

"This provides an opportunity to capture asymptomatic cases or infections that may have been incubating," says the release.

It says it's COVID-19 lab has performed more than 9,250 tests on employees and contractors who work at the Mary River Mine.

Baffinland says it's working closely with Nunavut Public Health and the Public Health Agency of Canada, as well as provincial and territorial governments "to determine the next course of action."

It says there is a "strict no-contact policy" with its Nunavummiut partners and local communities, and that there "continues to be no threat of transmission."