For the second time this week, an employee at the New Gold mine in Kamloops has tested positive for COVID-19.

Spokesperson Sam Numsen says the unidentified employee got a lab-confirmed positive COVID-19 test result yesterday, Jan. 28.

“The affected individual is not on site and we will not be sharing further information to protect their privacy,” he said, in a statement.

“As a result of contact tracing, there does not appear to be a direct link between this case and the case identified on Jan. 25th. All affected areas were immediately and thoroughly sanitized by a Mine Rescue HAZMAT team using a disinfectant fogger system.”

Employees at New Afton have been wearing contact tracing devices for more than a month.

This is the now the eighth total case of COVID-19 reported among the workforce at the copper and gold mine since the pandemic began almost a year ago.