Debswana informs stakeholders and the public that a Coronavirus (COVID-19) incident was recorded at Jwaneng Mine on Monday 03 August 2020. Our colleague is asymptomatic, in isolation, and under medical supervision. All District and National health authorities, have been notified.
Jwaneng Mine leadership proactively initiated a large-scale testing exercise following a large influx of people travelling from Gaborone to Jwaneng over the past weekend as a result of the lockdown restriction implemented in Greater Gaborone. Testing focused on employees and business partners who had been to Gaborone and those who were believed to have interacted with people from Gaborone. A total of 343 tests were conducted and one came out with a positive result. A sample was sent to the national health laboratory for further testing and confirmation of the result has since been received. Contact tracing is currently ongoing. Our crisis management plan has also been rolled out to address the current situation. Debswana will continue to work closely with the Ministry of Health and Wellness and other relevant stakeholders to manage the situation.
As part of our COVID-19 preparedness, Debswana has since the beginning of the year put in place a wide range of appropriate measures and controls across our business to help prevent the spread of the virus. A rigorous employee education program on COVID-19 prevention protocols was also implemented and is currently ongoing together with the provision of psychological support through our employee wellness program. The Department of Mines was also engaged to ensure the adequacy of Covid-19 critical controls put in place.
Debswana remains fully committed to established guidelines and protocols for the management of the COVID-19 virus from both the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The health and safety of our employees, our business partners and our communities at all our sites is our primary concern. Through our Wellness department, we shall continue to work with the authorities to manage the situation with respect to ensuring the safety of our employees and those we interact with. We shall further provide regular updates through the various company communication platforms and news media.