The Gahcho Kue mine, in Northwest Territories.
Production at the Gahcho Kué diamond mine, in Canada’s Northwest Territories, has been suspended, owing to an outbreak of Covid-19 at the mine site.
Currently, the mine has two confirmed positive and six presumptive positive cases, part owner Mountain Province reported on Monday.
The company, which owns the mine in a joint venture with De Beers, pointed out that the government of Northwest Territories defined an outbreak as one or more confirmed or probable cases of Covid-19 where the infection was acquired within the facility.
“The management team is assessing the situation and working actively to contain the outbreak to ensure it does not spread further into the community,” the Toronto-listed diamond miner stated.
Meanwhile, fellow-listed Pretium Resources (Pretivm) on Monday also reported positive Covid-19 cases among its workforce at the Brucejack gold mine, in British Columbia.
The company stated that there were nine positive cases of employees and contractors at the mine and that it had become aware of more employees, currently off site, who had contracted the virus.
All positive cases were in isolation and the mine was continuing to operate, Pretivm said.