Team,
You will have seen from my recent communications that there has been a significant increase in COVID-19 cases being reported in our shipyards.
In recent weeks, Delta has become the most common COVID-19 variant in the province. It can be spread far more easily between people, as the viral load is roughly 1,000 times more than the initial virus. It is described by the BC Centre for Disease Control as a ‘Variant of Concern’. Unvaccinated people are more likely to test positive after close contact than earlier in the pandemic, and we now need to be exceptionally mindful of our safety precautions, both in and outside of work, and follow the current public health recommendations.
We know that vaccinated people can still spread COVID-19 and cannot let their guard down any more than unvaccinated. However, the current vaccines provide effective protection against serious cases of COVID-19, including all Variants of Concern such as Delta. If you are not vaccinated yet, or if it’s been more than 28 days since your first dose, visit a drop-in clinic as soon as possible and get protected from COVID-19.
With so much daily activity in our workplace, both in reported cases and in our efforts to mitigate the spread, we are streamlining our communications with roundups as needed to summarize reported cases and any close contacts or impacts.
| Date | Location | Positive Test Results – Case Details | Further Impacts |
| 2021-08-30 | VSY | Employee last worked on Friday, August 27 and is now isolating at home. | 1 close contact, now isolating at home. |
| 2021-08-31 | VSY | Employee last worked on Friday, August 27 and is now isolating at home. | 1 close contact, now isolating at home. |
| 2021-08-31 | VSY | Employee last worked on Friday, August 27 and is now isolating at home. | 3 close contacts, now isolating at home. |
| 2021-08-31 | VSY | Employee last worked on Monday, August 30 and is now isolating at home. | No close contacts |
| 2021-08-31 | VSY | Employee last worked on Monday, August 30 and is now isolating at home. | No close contacts |
| 2021-09-01 | VSY | 6 employees have tested positive in rapid testing so far | |
| 2021-09-02 | VSY | Employee last worked on Tuesday, August 31 and is now isolating at home. | No close contacts |
| TOTAL cases to date across all 3 shipyards = 81 | |||
We conducted 181 rapid tests yesterday, and we will continue with these tests every Tuesday and Thursday throughout September with groups of 50 employees each time, selected from trades, office employees and the Ops Centre. Yesterday’s exercise was successful in finding 4 people who were unaware they had COVID-19 and could have potentially spread the virus to others. Thank you to everyone who is participating in these tests as they are helping to keep everyone safe.
As a reminder, please stay at home if you feel unwell. We have sent home employees who have arrived for work even though they were not feeling well — we must all take responsibility for keeping the virus out of our workplace. Continue to complete your self-assessments every day. Report any changes to your health, however minor. If you feel unwell, stay home. If you have any questions, contact our Wellness team immediately (wellness@seaspan.com; 604-990-3316).
Mark
Teamwork Builds Ships