Red Dog has enhanced COVID-19 protocols in place.
Red Dog has implemented a rigorous testing protocol for all Red Dog personnel at site as well as daily health checks at the beginning of every shift. This testing protocol has been an effective measure in limiting transmission at site and within regional communities. All personnel are encouraged to continue to follow all specific travel protocols and community COVID-19 guidelines while traveling and on their R&R.
Red Dog has made the COVID-19 vaccination available on site and the State of Alaska has made the vaccine readily available at the Anchorage International Airport for all travelers, regardless of their residency. All employees are strongly encouraged to get fully vaccinated as soon as possible, if medically able. Full vaccination significantly reduces the chances of becoming seriously ill or dying from COVID-19, reduces transmission of the virus, and protects against variant strains.
Additionally, personnel at Red Dog are required to wear a 3-ply disposable mask in all public and work spaces, maintain social distancing, and avoid gatherings.
Due to the high level of full vaccination among Red Dog employees and a sustained decrease in COVID-19 cases in our local communities, Red Dog has begun a staged reopening of the exercise areas, gym/track, main cafeteria, and recreation rooms. If an outbreak or ongoing cases are confirmed at site, these spaces will be closed.
Teck Alaska Red Dog Operations no longer requires individuals to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to starting employment at the mine. Although vaccinations are no longer required, Teck highly encourages all personnel to be vaccinated if they are able.
Vaccines to protect against COVID-19 have proven overwhelmingly safe and very effective, and the vaccines approved for use in Canada have all been shown to reduce serious illness and death.
All inbound regional personnel are tested the day of arrival to site, and the samples are analyzed at Red Dog using a safe and proven effective rapid test.
All inbound passengers on the Anchorage charter are required to be tested and receive a negative result at the Anchorage International Airport on the day of travel prior to boarding the charter.
All personnel scheduled for a regional flight are required to receive two negative COVID-19 test results prior to departure. The first test (#1) takes place approximately three to four days prior to travel. The second test (#2) is collected on the day of travel. Regional personnel must receive their negative results prior to traveling out of Red Dog.
For all outbound Anchorage personnel, testing occurs on the day of departure. Personnel must receive their results prior to boarding the Anchorage charter.
Contact tracing helps to identify individuals who have been exposed to—and potentially contracted—COVID-19, and as a result may need to be put in quarantine.
Contact tracing is performed by trained personnel in the Health & Safety department at Red Dog and by the State of Alaska Public Health Nursing.
Contact tracing is a critically important step in reducing spread.
Isolation occurs when an individual has tested positive for the virus and is separated from people who are not positive.
Quarantine restricts the movement of people who have been exposed to an individual who has tested COVID-19 positive. Individuals may be identified as needing to quarantine based on contact tracing.
Red Dog has designated a personnel care wing in the Personnel Accommodations Complex (PAC) to house individuals who need to be isolated or quarantined. These individuals will be appropriately supported for their physical and emotional health while isolating or quarantining.
The ventilation system has been configured to only use air supplied from outside of the living facility. Therefore, air is not recycled in the facility. Also, personnel in quarantine are housed on a different floor than those in isolation.
Personnel providing meals and collecting garbage from rooms are required to maintain a minimum six-foot distance and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when servicing the care wing. They do not enter the rooms of isolated and quarantined personnel.
Additionally, rooms are thoroughly sanitized using sanitizing foggers before they can be used for normal occupancy.
The gestation period for the virus can vary from 2 to 14 days, and infected individuals may initially test negative while the virus is still too low to detect with testing methods. Close adherence to all established protocols is key to managing further spread of the virus on site and in our communities.
