Self-isolate immediately if you've been at Nunavut mine, local health officials say

Anyone who has recently returned to the area after working at theMary River Mine site in Nunavut is being asked to self-isolate immediately and contact local public health officials.

Both Region of Waterloo Public Health and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health issued the directive after an outbreak was declared at the mine earlier this month. The outbreak involves the B16172 variant first detected in India.

Baffinland Iron Mines, which operates the mine, notified local public health officials about the outbreak on April 30. The company announced on May 5 that it was temporarily suspendingoperations because of the outbreak.

In Waterloo region, there is one local case and seven high risk contacts.

In Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph there are three cases with seven high risk contacts.

"Self-isolation means staying home for 14 days and avoiding contact with others unless to seek medical care or to get tested," Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health said in a release on Monday.

Public health officials say anyone who has recently returned to the community, including if it wasmore than 14 days ago, and who has not yet been tested should stay in self-isolation until a negative test result is received.