26 February 2021
Gahcho Kué Mine Joint Venture Partners De Beers Group (51% - the operator) and Mountain Province Diamonds (49%) report that new COVID-19 health and hygiene measures are being implemented in addition to the range of existing controls, as part of the ramp up to production over the coming weekend. The mine suspended production related activities on February 6 after an on-site outbreak of COVID-19. The ramp up to return to production follows an essential services team crew change on February 23, which included bringing in two industrial hygienists to review and oversee work protocols and provide further recommendations for enhancing on-site measures. The entire workforce has been changed out to break any possible chain of COVID-19 transmission. The new essential services team have all received negative PCR tests. Essential services, which have continued throughout the production suspension period, include maintaining power, water and sewer treatment, clearing roads, time critical maintenance work, water management, and receiving incoming winter road fuel and cargo shipments. The next step will be to bring in the operational crews to build up to full production. Lyndon Clark, General Manager of Gahcho Kué Mine, said: “The most important thing throughout this time is the health and safety of everyone at Gahcho Kué and the communities nearby. To further bolster the range of controls we already have in place, we are therefore taking additional strong actions, including adopting the use of newly-available rapid testing technology, to detect cases early and to minimize the risk of transmission.”