Hudbay operations in northern Manitoba are ticking right along during the COVID-19 pandemic. The company continues work despite new restrictions on travel to northern Manitoba and a scare involving a sick employee in Snow Lake.
Hudbay reported one employee in Snow Lake left work due to illness, but testing showed the person did not have COVID-19.
“Through the implementation of our COVID-19 precautionary measures and guidance from the regional health unit, that employee was sent home for self-isolation and COVID-19 testing,” said a Hudbay spokesperson.
A Hudbay spokesperson said the worker’s symptoms did not match symptoms typically found in COVID-19 cases, but the company sent the employee and those who worked closely with them home for a two-week quarantine.
“We took these extra precautions in addition to requiring any other employees who would have come into contact with that individual to self-isolate for 14 days. The individual's test results came back negative and the employees in self-isolation have since returned to work,” said the spokesperson.
Hudbay has previously confirmed that a Flin Flon-area employee had tested positive for the disease after travel, but said the employee did not work upon arrival and went into self-quarantine for 14 days.
With businesses and some industrial operations either suspending operations, laying off employees or shutting down outright due to the outbreak, Hudbay has remained operational. When asked what would have to happen to postpone operations at the company’s northern Manitoba mines, the spokesperson said several possible scenarios could lead to operations being stopped but none have taken place.
“Examples of the factors that could lead to a suspension of business include, but are not limited to, an insufficient number of workers to continue safe and productive operations, an interruption in the supply chain limiting access to critical mining supplies, or a government requirement to suspend mining operations,” said the spokesperson.
When asked if recent northern travel restrictions from the provincial government would impact Hudbay operations, the spokesperson said because mining is considered an essential service in Manitoba, the company’s operations would likely continue unfettered.
“Hudbay is not affected by the new travel restrictions going into effect on April 17, as those who are travelling north for employment and the delivery of goods and services are exempt.”
New safety measures were announced by Hudbay April 14, including having all residents at the company’s Snow Lake camp be temperature tested on check-in, requesting all contractors working with the company extend the rotations of workers currently in the north to decrease the number of travelling workers coming north and requiring all out-of-province workers coming to Manitoba (except those coming from Saskatchewan) to self-isolate for two weeks following arrival in the north and before going to work.
