In response to COVID-19 concerns, Baffinland Iron Mines is temporarily telling its Nunavummiut employees not to report for work at the Mary River mine.
Hark Nijjar Photography
Nunavummiut workers currently at the site will return to their home communities this week, according to a Baffinland news release. There company's offices in Iqaluit, Arctic
Bay, Clyde River, Igloolik, Pond Inlet and Sanirajak have also been closed.
There will be no loss of pay, seniority, or job security during this period, the company stated.
"This action will help eliminate the Baffinland site as a potential point of entry for COVID-19 into the Arctic," the news release reads, adding that the situation will be reassessed in two weeks.
Baffinland reported that there are no known cases of COVID-19 at the mine site.
It also stated that it has emergency and crisis management plans in place that address infections. As well, passenger screening will begin Tuesday for all workers flying to Mary River -- this will include checking for possible virus symptoms and a mandatory temperature check. The majority of Baffinland's workforce travels to the mine from southern Canada.
