Trans Mountain now says there have been 91 total cases of COVID-19 among its workforce.

As of mid-November, CEO Ian Anderson had said there were zero transmission events among the several thousand workers at its work sites.

As of Dec. 28, there were 12 active cases among workers.

Spokesperson Ali Hounsell says there has only been one instance of the virus transmitting at Trans Mountain worksites, saying that happened at a pump station in Alberta.

On Dec. 17, Anderson announced a voluntary shutdown of all work on the pipeline because of “a series of safety concerns over the last two months,” which he says is “unacceptable” and “inconsistent” with Trans Mountain’s safety culture.

That shutdown was supposed to end on Monday, but Trans Mountain tells NL News work remains halted at all sites in B.C. and Alberta.

“We are in the final stages of our restart planning and anticipate that we will be providing further details on restart dates in the coming days,” the corporation tells NL News.

Trans Mountain workers will be able to return to work in full force in B.C. and Alberta, except in Northern Health, affecting work in the Valemount area in particular.

On Dec. 29, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry introduced a new order for five major construction projects in northern B.C. to bring back employees in phases over the next two months. That order was brought in because to limit COVID-19 from spreading and to take pressure off of healthcare facilities in northern B.C., according to Henry.

It’s not clear how the shutdowns will impact the timeline for the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project; Hounsell says peak construction is still expected in 2021.

The Crown corporation has maintained in recent months that the pipeline should be in operation by the end of 2022.