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Coronavirus scare shuts down work at major Burnaby construction project

A major Burnaby development project has been shut down temporarily because of concerns a worker on site may have fallen ill with coronavirus.
city of lougheed
Renderings show various aspects of the new City of Lougheed development. When it is completed in 15 to 20 years, the project is expected to include 23 highrise towers for 10,000 new residents, 1.4 million sq. ft. of retail and one million sq. ft. of office space. Photograph By SUBMITTED PHOTO

A major Burnaby development project has been shut down temporarily because of concerns a worker on site may have fallen ill with coronavirus.

Construction activities at the City of Lougheed project at Austin Avenue and North Road were put on hold because a worker at the site presented with a fever Thursday, according to a press release from ITC Construction Group communications director Meenu Bakshi Friday.

The worker received medical attention and his case was referred to public health officials, according to the release.

“We do not have any confirmation that this incident is related to the coronavirus outbreak,” Bakshi said in the release.  “Safety is a primary concern on all of our job sites.  Our team responded diligently to preserve the safety of all workers on site and we are taking the necessary precautions until we receive confirmation from the medical experts on the official diagnosis.”

The City of Lougheed is a massive master plan for the Lougheed mall area, starting with four towers, a 1.03-million square-foot parkade and 117,000 square feet of commercial space being built by ITC.

Bakshi said ITC expects to be fully operational again at the site on Monday.

Check back for updates on this story.