A COVID-19 outbreak appears to be underway in White River.
A statement from the Township of White River says it has received confirmation from Valard that there is an outbreak at its work camp in that community, confirming Pic Mobert First Nation's report that there were two positive cases at the camp, and warning that a third employee has since tested positive - the company says those cases and their close contacts have or will soon be moved into quarantine outside of White River, with those who'd been in contact with them tested and instructed to self-isolate.
The company's protocols include in-house testing - which it says identified the first two cases - then isolating those who test positive, though the Township emphasizes it's "now more important than ever to be diligent and ensure that everyone is following the guidelines" from health authorities, not leaving home except for essential reasons.
It's not the first outbreak linked to one of Valard's work camps for the East-West Tie Project, as the Thunder Bay District Health Unit declared an outbreak at Valard's Marathon camp in mid-January - with several cases linked to it - though that was declared "over" late last week, just days before Algoma Public Health reported the first two cases in North Algoma, the first two from Valard's White River camp.
Algoma Public Health has not reported a third case in North Algoma, though it is reporting one more in the Elliot Lake area and another in Central and East Algoma, bringing its total to 186, 30 "active" including two in hospital.
The neighbouring Porcupine Health Unit's reporting its 295th case - it's in the Hearst and Hornepayne area, stemming from close contact with a known case - leaving it with 42 "active", while the Thunder Bay District Health Unit's confirmed six in the Thunder Bay area, bringing the health unit to 1070, 103 "active" including three in hospital, one in the ICU.
Public Health Sudbury and Districts has 41 "active" cases - all in Greater Sudbury - while the Porcupine Health Unit has 53 "active", one in hospital.