Congo locks down mining area over coronavirus

Democratic Republic of Congo imposed a two-day lockdown in part of its copper and cobalt heartland on Monday, as two of the country's largest mines took steps to reduce staff levels in response to an accelerating coronavirus outbreak.

The governor of Haut-Katanga province, Jacques Kyabula, issued the lockdown order late last Sunday. He said the boundaries of the southeastern province, which is home to concessions owned by Ivanhoe, MMG Ltd.Asian Metal Copyright He said the boundaries of the southeastern province, which is home to concessions owned by Ivanhoe, MMG Ltd.Asian Metal Copyright and Chemaf, would also be closed after two people tested positive for the virus in the provincial capital, Lubumbashi.

However, Congo's health minister said late on Monday that subsequent testing revealed the two, who had flown from the national capital Kinshasa on Sunday, were not infected, meaning there have not been any cases in the southeast.

Even so, companies had already moved on Monday to begin downsizing their operations.

In neighboring Lualaba province, Glencore's Kamoto Copper Company (KCC) mine, a copper and cobalt project, repatriated 26 foreign workers on Monday in response to the outbreak, a union official revealed.

Together, Haut-Katanga and Lualaba account for nearly all of Congo's output of cobalt, a component in electric car batteries. Congo produces about 60% of the world's cobalt.

.Asian Metal Copyright The governor of Haut-Katanga province, Jacques Kyabula, issued the lockdown order late last Sunday.Asian Metal Copyright