CNA Staff, May 5, 2020 / 14:01 pm
At least 51 workers have been infected with the novel coronavirus at the Grasberg mine in Indonesia, the world's largest gold mine.
Nine employees of Freeport McMoRan, the organization who operates the mine, have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 and another 42 have been forced into quarantine, UCA News reported May 5.
The mine is located in Papua and is known for its production of gold and copper. The operation includes around 20,000 employees.
Riza Pratama, vice president of Freeport, said the company will fully cooperate with the government's coronavirus task force but will continue mining operations to support the national economy. He said the company will prioritize the health and safety of workers and will conduct regular health screenings, implement social distancing, provide a quarantine area for employees, according to UCA News.