Matusse Geraldo, Bank Team Leader, Platreef
We are taking action to support our employees and communities as the COVID-19 situation evolves. Our aim is to keep our operations running safely, and we are monitoring the situation closely.
The nature of our mine development projects is such that certain work cannot be done remotely, so our focus is on reducing the risk of the virus spreading to our projects. Operational continuity is critical for jobs, the communities around our operations, and the local economies. We will continue to adapt our response as this situation evolves, with our primary focus being the health and safety of our people.
The Ivanhoe team is comprised of an extraordinary group of people. I have absolute confidence that working together we will meet these challenges and emerge stronger and more resilient than ever.
Robert Friedland
Founder and Executive Co-Chairman
Kamoa-Kakula has successfully focused on prevention, preparation and mitigation in managing the risks associated with COVID-19. Large-scale testing, combined with focused preventative measures, ensured that positive cases were quickly identified, isolated and treated, with cross contamination kept to a minimum. Maintaining this high standard of risk management remains a daily focus, to prevent future cases. Kamoa Copper has secured an initial supply of 1,000 dosages of the AstraZeneca vaccine for Kamoa employees, contractors and Democratic Republic of Congoresidents who live in the mine’s host communities. A second supply of 1,000 dosages is expected in June. The second dose will be administered 8 to 12 weeks after the first and a certificate of vaccination completion will be issued to those who have received two doses.
The Kamoa COVID-19 hospital continues to treat patients when required, as construction progresses for the expansion and upgrade of the primary healthcare wing of the hospital. Kamoa-Kakula’s highly-experienced doctors and nurses apply the latest medical treatments, supported by a world-leading emergency response and paramedic team.
Dr. John Botomwito, Health Manager at Kamoa Copper S.A., commented: “Kamoa is continually working closely with national and provincial stakeholders to improve access to healthcare in the Lualaba Province.”
Following the guidelines outlined by the World Health Organization, while drawing on the experience of its China-based partners – CITIC Metal and Zijin Mining – Ivanhoe established a task team from senior management with overall responsibility for COVID-19 response planning and well before the situation was declared a pandemic.
The team is led by Dr. Nicolette Du Plessis, a specialist in Paediatric Infectious Diseases and a Professor at the University of Pretoria, and includes specialist doctors, paramedics, nurses, as well as counsel from several external, world-leading epidemiologists. Dr. Du Plessis is president of the Southern African Society of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and president-elect of the Federation of Infectious Diseases Societies of Southern Africa.
The task team, together with its 16-strong and expanding, on-site Kamoa-Kakula Project medical response team (pictured above) and its medical service provider, Medical Support Solutions of the United Kingdom, has access to some of the best advice from medical experts from around the globe and has implemented key procedures across the business to ensure minimal disruption to its operations.
At the Kamoa-Kakula Project, the company has implemented strict isolation procedures in the event of higher risk personnel or potential COVID-19 cases. Ten intensive care units, each equipped with a ventilator, and 20 high-care units will be available to treat potential patients, in addition to a quarantine facility for up to 60 potential patients.
The company already has procured abundant critical protective supplies for its minesite medical professionals, including surgical gloves and N95 face masks. In addition, Ivanhoe’s largest shareholder, CITIC Metal, has assisted with the procurement of a very substantial number of coronavirus diagnostic test kits. The company will distribute the test kits to its projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and South Africa to enforce its health and safety protocols during the pandemic and to ensure business continuity at the Kamoa-Kakula Project.
In addition, the company is working closely with its host governments, which have acted swiftly and decisively in legislating measures to curb the spread of the disease. Together with the DRC and South African Ministries of Health, the company is sourcing a number of early-stage treatments that could potentially prevent a country-wide outbreak of the COVID-19 virus.
Ivanhoe has been updating its employees and stakeholders on the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) since well before it was declared a pandemic. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases. A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
What are common symptoms?
How can I prevent infection?
How does COVID-19 spread?
SOURCE: World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
