Image credit: Petra Diamonds
South Africa’s mining industry has recorded 320 cases of Covid-19 as the industry prepares to operate at full capacity from June 1, according to media reports citing the Minerals Council.
The council said that mining companies had so far conducted about 5,000 COVID-19 tests and it expects the number of cases to rise.
“Clearly we are going to see an escalation in those numbers, but we will manage those numbers, do the screenings and keep people in isolation,” Reuters quoted the Minerals Council chief executive Roger Baxter as saying during a virtual panel discussion.
Mines in South Africa, the world’s biggest producer of platinum and chrome and a leading producer of gold and diamonds, were temporarily closed when a nationwide lockdown commenced late March to control further spreading of the coronavirus.
The South African government then last month allowed the mining industry to resume operations at 50% capacity.
Most underground mines were put on care and maintenance during the lockdown announced in March.
Only coal mines supplying state power utility Eskom were allowed to continue with their operations.
The Minerals Council previously warned that some mines might not re-open post the COVID-19 lockdown period owing to lack of cash flow.
Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished
