COVID-19 Response at Red Dog Operations

Teck and NANA were notified today of a positive COVID-19 test for a Teck Alaska employee at the Port site. Red Dog is following established response protocols to ensure the health and safety of all personnel at Red Dog Operations is maintained. Information regarding travel and testing:

  • A positive test result was received today for one of the six employees who was quarantined at Port on August 12 due to significant contact with the original infected individual.
  • On August 22, five employees were re-tested, 10 days following significant contact with the individual who had the positive test result on August 12.
  • Note that all six of the employees at the Port in quarantine remain asymptomatic.
  • The remaining significant contacts will be re-tested after 14 days have elapsed from the original date of contact.
  • Prior to releasing individuals for R&R, employees must be released by public health authorities, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and State Epidemiology guidelines.

Red Dog Operations is working on-site and with public health authorities to identify and contact any persons who may have had close contact with the individual and is taking precautionary steps to manage the risk of transmission. Additionally:

  • The employee is asymptomatic with no known symptoms associated with COVID-19 at this time.
  • The employee will undergo a second COVID-19 test in four days and will remain in isolation for sufficient days beyond that time until approval is received from public health to release the individual.
  • Contact tracing is progressing, and individuals having close contact with the individual will be placed in isolation, assigned to the Worker Protection Protocol or other appropriate measures will be taken.

Workers who are not contacted by Red Dog Operations do not need to self-quarantine; however, all workers are asked to closely self-monitor for symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste and smell, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat). If employees experience any of these symptoms, please immediately inform your supervisor and the onsite physician assistant (PA) and take immediate steps to self-isolate.

We remain focused on safeguarding the health and safety of our employees and the communities in which they live. Red Dog has put in place comprehensive prevention measures aligned with guidance from public health authorities, including:

  • Implementation of mandatory facial coverings in areas and situations where social distancing is not practicable.
  • Implementation of COVID-19 testing for all inbound personnel and additional testing of outbound regional personnel.
  • All personnel with the capability to work remotely are working from home, based on the needs of each respective team.
  • Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting protocols, including frequent disinfecting of employee buses and work areas.
  • Increasing social distancing practices at site, including reducing the number of passengers on buses and planes; separating groups of employees at work; canceling large group meetings; changing meetings from in-person to virtual, and modifying eating areas to allow for appropriate separation.
  • Reducing or eliminating in-person meetings and other large gatherings.
  • Screening all employees and contractors prior to travel to site for risk factors and symptoms.
  • Promoting personal preventative measures, such as frequent handwashing.
  • Requiring employees who show symptoms or who have been in close contact with someone with symptoms, to stay home from work and/or stay in their personnel accommodations room and contact the onsite PA for an evaluation.

We will continue to closely monitor this situation and provide further updates to employees, contractors and community leadership as necessary.

Sincerely,
Les Yesnik
General Manager, Red Dog Operations