An emergency medical evacuation took place quietly yesterday under the watch of police at Saint-Hubert airport where 36 workers infected with COVID-19 were transferred to Montreal from the Baffinland iron mine in Nunavut. Baffinland’s Mary River Mine site on Baffin Island, Nunavut, is one of the most northern mines in the world. It has among the richest iron ore deposits ever discovered, consisting of nine-plus high-grade iron ore deposits that can be mined, crushed, and screened into marketable products. A statement on their facebook page reads: "Operations at the Mary River Project continue to be paused temporarily because of the current COVID-19 outbreak at site. By the end of this week we will have demobilized over 65% of our workforce in an effort stop the transmission of COVID-19 at site. All those who have tested positive have been safely transferred to southern locations to be closer to additional medical support, if needed. The health and safety of our workforce continues to be our priority. We continue to work closely with Nunavut Public Health and have implemented extensive measures to stop this virus. The essential workers on site follow many rigorous protocols including mask wearing at all times, strict physical distancing, increased sanitization requirements, and regular testing for COVID-19 by the two dedicated PCR labs on site."
photo source: Baffinland Media
