Endeavour Mining - CEO, Sébastien de Montessus
CEO, Sébastien de Montessus
Source: Endeavour Mining
  • Endeavour Mining (TSX:EDV) has worker test positive for COVID-19 at its Hounde mine in Burkina Faso
  • The medium-sized West African gold producer has five mines spread across Mali, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast
  • The company has announced mandatory 14 day isolation periods for any employees or contractors arriving in the Ivory Coast or Burkina Faso
  • A number of people who were in contact with the worker have also been isolated.
  • Endeavour Mining (EDV) is down 6 per cent to C$19.14, with a market cap of C$2.1 billion

London-based West African gold producer Endeavour Mining (TSX:EDV) has had a worker test positive to COVID-19 at a production facility in Burkina Faso.

The worker has been quarantined, and a raft of new measures have been implemented by the company in response.

The worker returned from the UK, and experienced mild symptoms a few hours after arriving on site.

The Burkina-Faso health authorities were notified, the employee quarantined, and a number of other people who had been in contact with them also quarantined.

Since the employee did not show symptoms upon arrival and passed the mandatory health screening, new measures have been implemented to beef up bio-security at mine sites.

All incoming contractors and employees entering Burkina Faso or the Ivory Coast are now required to undergo 14 days of isolation prior to starting work.

The company has enacted a business continuity program to ensure employees are protected while ensuring the company can still operate during the pandemic.

Incoming employees into all production facilities in West Africa will now undergo health screenings on top of the 14 day self-isolation period required of those incoming from overseas.

All non-essential travel has been cancelled by the company.

Endeavour does not believe it will suffer an impact to production or operations at any of it’s mines or exploration activities.

The company insists it has sufficient inventory of supplies and equipment, and suppliers have confirmed that placed and forecast orders are still intact.

The company has a string of mines across Mali, Burkina Faso and the Ivory Coast.

Situated in the Birimian greenstone belt in West Africa, the company had a promising start to 2020 before this announcement.

With the gold price soaring revenue was increasing as was production, but this new development has shaken investor confidence.

Endeavour Mining (EDV) is currently down 6 per cent to C$19.14 as of 11:08am EST.

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