Poland has announced the suspension of work at 22 coal mines as it tries to limit the spread of Covid-19, with its mining workforce one of the groups to be hardest-hit by the virus.
The mines – ten owned by the Polska Grupa Górnicza and 12 operated by state-owned Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa – will be closed for three weeks, according to deputy prime minister Jacek Sasin. All employees, apart from essential “residual staff” who are necessary to keep the lights on, will be set to receive downtime benefits. Sasin also noted that he does not expect coal deliveries to be disrupted by the temporary shutdown.
Read more about the impacts of Covid-19 on Polish coal here.