More than a dozen in self-isolation after positive COVID test at Site C dam work camp
By On-Site Staff
Health & Safety13 workers at the Site C hydro project in Fort St. John, B.C. are in self-isolation after a worker tested positive for COVID-19 last week.
BC Hydro confirmed the positive test at the work camp July 17, saying the worker arrived from Alberta July 13 and received the positive result two days later. The unidentified worker self-isolated immediately after testing positive, and Northern Health, which oversees the northern portion of B.C., confirmed the result with a second test July 16.
“The worker is being cared for by the on-site health clinic, which has the trained staff, facilities and supplies required to provide health care to workers in isolation or quarantine,” BC Hydro, said in a release. “The worker will continue isolating in their room, which is in a separate dormitory and away from other workers, until they are medically cleared to leave.”
Along with the worker positive for the virus, as of July 22, 13 other workers are in self-isolation at the camp as a result of contact tracing conducted by Northern Health. No other positive cases have been reported at the camp to date and the worker had not left the facility or interacted with the community after arriving from Alberta, BC Hydro said.
The crown-owned utility and its contractors began ramping the workforce at the hydro megaproject back up in mid-May, after halving it as a preventative measure in March.
BC Hydro said it continues to closely monitor the situation and strictly follow all health guidelines.