- A B2Gold Corp (TSX:BTO) employee has tested positive for COVID-19 at the company’s Fekola exploration camp in Mali, West Africa
- The employee tested positive yesterday and has been quarantining since last weekend after presenting with flu-like symptoms
- As a result, all of the exploration team who had contact with the individual have also been placed in quarantine
- However, as the exploration camp is located five kilometres from the company’s Fekola Mine, mining operations have not been interrupted
- Before the market opens, B2Gold Corp (BTO) is trading at C$6.43 per share, with a market cap of $6.7 billion
A B2Gold Corp (TSX:BTO) employee has tested positive for COVID-19 at the company’s Fekola exploration camp in Mali, West Africa.
The employee tested positive yesterday, after experience flu-like symptoms over the weekend. Since presenting, the individual has been isolated on-site and is currently being monitored by the company’s doctors and the local Kéniéba Health Authority.
Currently, the individual is only presenting with mild symptoms and is in a stable condition.
As a result, the entire exploration team has been placed in quarantine and contact tracing is currently being performed to isolate any further cases of the virus.
Furthermore, the company is undertaking an extensive sterilisation and cleaning procedure at the exploration site.
As the exploration camp is located five kilometres from the Fekola Mine, mining operations have not been interrupted and the site continues to operate at full capacity.
Staff at the mine are initiating a full isolation of all employees on site, which is expected to be completed by April 19.
B2 Gold is currently limiting travel to the nation’s capital, as well as travel outside the country.
However, these travel restrictions, were already in place when the employee tested positive, suggesting the virus was picked up before they were implemented or perhaps from another source in the surrounding area.
Mali has a comparatively low number of COVID-19 cases, at just 148. However, cases are rising rapidly, as much as 25 per cent a day, and the government has already suspended international flights, closed schools, and banned public gatherings.
Before the market opens, B2Gold Corp (BTO) is trading at C$6.43 per share, with a market cap of $6.7 billion.
