Four contractors who were working at the New Afton Mine have tested positive for COVID-19 according to NewGold.

Spokesperson Sam Numsen says the company was made aware of one positive case on Saturday, and, since then, three other workers who were close contacts of that person have also tested positive.

Numsen says all of those workers are self-isolating, and he says all other close contacts of those workers have been notified and are self-isolating.

All affected areas of the mine site have now been cleaned by HAZMAT teams according to Numsen.

Meanwhile, two unrelated positive cases that popped up at the mine in late November are now recovered. Numsen says none of their close contacts tested positive for the virus, which he says is a testament to significant measures in place at the mine to prevent transmission of COVID-19.

The gold mine employs about 500 people in the Kamloops area.