LSE-listed Gem Diamonds has, in line with the Lesotho government’s three-week lockdown to combat the spread of Covid-19, temporarily placed its Letšeng mine on care and maintenance.
Lesotho’s national lockdown will start on March 29 and end on April 21.
For the period of the lockdown, only essential maintenance will take place, with security and support staff performing rotation shifts at the mine.
The situation will be reviewed after three weeks.
Gem will continue to hold its recently announced flexible sales of diamonds during this period, it confirmed on March 26.
Gem Diamonds and Letšeng “fully supports the decision of the Lesotho government and regards this intervention as an important step in the fight against the Covid-19 disease”.
To date, there have been no reported instances of any Covid-19 positive cases in Lesotho or at the Letšeng mine or at any of the company's international operations.