Case of COVID-19 confirmed at Ekati Diamond Mine in N.W.T.

One person has tested positive for COVID-19 at the Ekati Diamond Mine in the Northwest Territories, and they are isolating along with "approximately" six other close contacts, according to public health officials.

"The investigation and contact tracing does not identify any risk to the public," said Dr. Andre Corriveau, the acting chief public officer of health, in a statement issued Monday afternoon.

The mine is 300 kilometres northeast of Yellowknife.

Public health does not believe the individual acquired the virus at the mine — which had "all measures" in place to prevent COVID-19 from coming into the site.

It comes roughly a month after public health officials said an outbreak at the mine was over. Both people who tested positive during that outbreak were out-of-territory workers who recovered and did not need to be hospitalized.

The current case is also not an N.W.T. resident and will not be included in the territory's COVID-19 statistics, said public health.

There are no other active cases of COVID-19 in the N.W.T., and it's been 28 days since the last confirmed case, according to territorial data.