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Zimbabwe’s biggest platinum miner, Zimplats said on Monday it recorded 24 Covid-19 cases among its workforce in the first quarter of the year.
In a quarterly update, the miner said another seven had been earlier infected, bringing the total to 31 since the onset of the pandemic in March last year.
All the workers had since recovered. “The group recorded 24 positive Covid-19 cases during the quarter, resulting in cumulative confirmed cases since the inception of the pandemic rising to 31,” the miner said.
“All affected employees were managed in line with the group’s Covid-19 code of practice which incorporates both Zimbabwe Ministry of Health and Child Care and World Health Organisation protocols and had fully recovered by the end of the quarter.”
Zimbabwe experienced the second wave of infections in the first quarter of this year, and has since March 2020 recorded nearly 40 000 cases and 1 568 deaths. Zimplats said the infections had not affected its operations.
“The workforce is adapting well to the current Covid-19 operating environment,” the miner said.
During the quarter, the platinum miner saw the amount of ore mined decline four percent to 1 746 tonnes.
Production of the top six minerals – platinum, palladium, gold, rhodium, ruthenium and iridium also slumped six percent to 137 093 ounces.
Meanwhile, Zimplats recorded one death and one injury at the workplace during the period after a wall at one of its mines collapsed.New Ziana
Bongani Ndlovu