Gold Fields Ghana- Tarkwa Mine confirms COVID-19 case, Contact Tracing triggered
Gold Fields Ghana has confirmed a positive case of the novel coronavirus at its Tarkwa Mine in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality of the Western Region.
The patient per a release issued by Gold Fields Ghana Limited, is a staff of one of their contracted mining firms. A laboratory result from Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research also confirmed that the wife of the patient, has also been infected by the virus. The two have all been isolated and in stable condition.
According to the release, the Municipal Rapid Response Team with support of the company, has begun tracing all contacts of the infected persons.
“Following confirmation of the case, Gold Fields and the Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal rapid response team have begun aggressive contact tracing among the workforce and within the mine host communities.
“Samples of work colleagues who have been identified through the ongoing contact tracing exercise have been taken. These employees are also undergoing self-isolation for 14 days. We have also tracked the employee’s movement over the past few weeks, and together with the municipal team are tracing other people with whom he may have come into contact within the Tarkwa community”, the statement read.
Gold Fields Ghana Limited have thus urged the public to allay fears of spread of the virus in their mine and host communities.
“We want to assure our employees, members of our host communities and the general public that we are on high alert and have activated our COVID-19 emergency response protocols to contain the spread of the virus at our operations and within our host communities”
Management also reassured the public and its clients, that their production capacities are intact, despite the incidence.
“Production at the mine has to date not been affected. We will continue to prioritise the health and safety of our employees and the communities hosting our operation”, the statement noted.
It is important to note that these two cases are the only recorded COVID-19 cases in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality. The Western Region, as at Tuesday [May 5, 2020] morning have confirmed twenty-three (23) cases of COVID-19.
