9 April

Nickel ore producers in the Philippines, Nickel Asia and Global Ferronickel Holdings, have suspended mining and export activities in a southern province to comply with measures to contain the spread of Covid-19. Nickel Asia plans to restart operations in May, while Global Ferronickel is yet to reveal its plans.

Young Mining Professionals Toronto (YMP Toronto) has launched a new mining industry initiative called ‘Mining Cares’ to engage the industry at large to make a difference in the global fight against the Covid-19 pandemic. The coordinated effort through this initiative is aimed at offering assistance to those who are most vulnerable to the effects of the virus.

Vale is set to extend the care and maintenance period at its Voisey’s Bay mine in Canada by up to three months and will continue to monitor progress associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. The company announced the maintenance period last month as a precaution to help protect the health and well-being of surrounding communities.

BHP has reported a small number of confirmed Covid-19 cases among its global workforce of 72,000 people. All of the individuals followed the required protocols of self-isolating and reporting and are recovering well. The company did not report any impact on sites or operations due to these cases. It is also conducting safe operations to help reduce the spread of the virus.