Skip to content

Another Lac des Iles Mine worker tests positive for COVID-19

Impala Canada totals seven cases at northwestern Ontario mine, test results on two others still pending
NAP 5
Lac des Iles Mine (Supplied)

Seven individuals in total have now tested positive for COVID-19 at Impala Canada's Lac des Iles (LDI) Mine in northwestern Ontario.

A week after the palladium miner announced its first case, the company announced April 14 that a seventh person was confirmed by the Northwestern Health Unit.

This latest person was in self-isolation before symptoms developed, according to the company.

Two more workers with symptomatic conditions, who remain in isolation at the mine site and under care by the LDI health team, are being tested with the results still pending.

Want to read more stories about business in the North? Subscribe to our newsletter.

Impala Canada decided on April 10 to place the mine, 90 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay, into quarantine starting April 13 and shut down operations for an undetermined period.

The company said most of the personnel would depart the site and self-quarantine for 14 days (up to April 27) from the day of their departure.

A skeleton crew of essential personnel remains at the site.

After the first individual was confirmed on April 7, five more cases were later confirmed on April 12.

Three of these individuals are self-isolation. Two remained at the mine site.

This group had come in contact with the first infected person who was at the mine between March 29 and April 4, and had passed all screening protocols upon entering and exiting the site. This person did not notify local public health authorities of any symptoms.

In conjunction with the health unit, Impala said extensive close contact tracing and outreach is continuing.

"Our thoughts and concerns are with these individuals from our team," said the company in a statement. "We have extended our care and our support."