Cameco is temporarily suspending production at its Cigar Lake uranium mine in northern Saskatchewan over the coming weeks due to the increasing risks posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
It is the second Covid-related shutdown at the facility. The first began in March and lasted for five months.
The company said Saskatchewan is experiencing a significant negative trend in the pandemic, which is leading to increased uncertainty for the continuous operation of Cigar Lake, due in part to access to qualified operational personnel.
Cameco president and chief executive officer Tim Gitzel said Cameco has had six positive tests at its northern operations in recent weeks, including three at Cigar Lake. “One of the most challenging trends we’ve had to navigate is the shrinking availability of workers in critical roles at Cigar Lake due to self-isolations, absenteeism and communities being on temporary pause for transporting workers due to the pandemic,” he said.
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