New COVID-19 case identified at N.W.T.'s Diavik diamond mine

Health officials in the N.W.T. confirmed one new case of COVID-19 at the Diavik diamond mine Monday.

The individual, an out-of-territory worker, is currently in isolation at the mine, along with 35 contacts at the mine site. Health officials saidthey do not believe the person contracted the disease on-site.

"All screening measures to try and prevent introduction of COVID-19 infections were in place," an emailed statement reads.

The case is not counted toward the territory's case totals as the person is not a resident of the N.W.T.

The territory has seen 47 cases of COVID-19 among N.W.T. residents, and 74 cases overall.

The news comes just days after the territory declared the end of an outbreak at the Gahcho Kue mine. An outbreak at the facility, declared Feb. 3, resulted in 20 cases of COVID-19, including eight among N.W.T. residents.

Rotational workers, like those on mine sites,are a top priority group for the territory's vaccination campaign, and out-of-territory workers are eligible to receive doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

Nearly 24,000 first doses of the vaccine have been distributed in the territory to date, along with nearly 14,000 second doses.