Covid has made its way to the economically critical Pilbarxjmtzywa region in Western Australia’s north, with at least one BHP worker testing positive and colleagues now in isolation.
The contractor had a negative result from a rapid antigen test before flying to the Yandi iron ore mine on Tuesday. She felt unwell on Sunday and then tested positive to a PCR test taken at the Spinifex accommodation village.
The rail maintenance worker is isolating in her room for 14 days, as are about 80 colleagues, a mix of close and casual contacts.
Results of their tests are expected later on Monday.
“We are working with the WA Health Department to conduct further contact tracing, and undertaking deep cleaning across the impacted site and accommodation village,” a spokesperson said.
“BHP has had strong controls in place throughout the pandemic to support the health and safety of our people and the community while maintaining safe ongoing operations.
“We will continue to review and adapt these measures as the pandemic evolves.”
The virus has also found its way to the Murchison region, with one case detected at 29Metals’ Golden Grove copper, zinc and precious metals mine.
A spokesman for the ASX-listed company said the contractor showed symptoms late last week and then produced a positive PCR test over the weekend but was no longer symptomatic.
The worker has been plunged into 14 days isolation on site along with about 10 other close contacts.
The spokesman said this was having no material impact on production.
Last week, two Rio Tinto fly-in fly-out workers tested positive at Perth Airport.
Meanwhile, new modelling on the Omicron variant by The University of Western Australia suggests the state should be able to cope with an outbreak if the borders reopen in late February, having been delayed from February 5.
Infectious disease modeller and lead researcher George Milne found the peak would come about 55 days after the border reopened and last a couple of weeks.
The new modelling, which has not yet been peer reviewed, suggests a peak of about 430 people in hospital two months after borders reopen, with about 10 per cent of those, or about 43, in intensive care.
WA has recently been recording double-digit daily cases growth, with infections recorded in the South West and Wheatbelt regions as well as the Perth metropolitan area.
