Aurora Mine denies reports of 17 COVID-positive workers

– says strict protocols in place; ahead of Minister’s visit

On the eve of Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton’s scheduled visit, Chinese-owned Aurora Gold Mine has come out in denial that there has been an outbreak of COVID-19 at the mining camp.

The company made this pronouncement in a statement on Sunday. According to AGM’s General Manager, Victor Wu, not a single worker at AGM has tested positive under the dispensation of Zijin Mining Company, the mine’s new owner.
According to him, efforts will be made to clarify the reports of 17 workers at AGM testing positive and that Minister Hamilton will be contacted for clarity. He described the reports as having “repercussions on the morale of the workforce and other stakeholders of the company.”
Meanwhile, AGM’s Director of Corporate Office and Governance, Peter Benny, also denied the reports, while also noting that AGM has implemented several stringent measures and controls. These include temperature and oxygen testing, social distancing and the wearing of masks and hands washing at all its locations.
“There is social distancing in the lunchrooms and mess hall. The playground, gyms and places of recreation have all been closed,” Benny was quoted as saying. “Of the 24 Chinese working with AGM and the 26 working with Sinohydro, none of them has been tested positive nor has any of our employees, whether it is at Aurora, or the Georgetown Office, or Buckhall.”

When it comes to reports that there are gold mining companies treating employees who have symptoms of COVID-19, for malaria and typhoid, Benny distanced Aurora Gold Mine from these reports.
“That statement does not apply to AGM. The company has in its employ three full-time medical
doctors,” he noted adding that it is known for having one of the best screening practices for malaria. “The company looks forward to the Minister’s visit at its locations,” he added.
It was only recently that over 100 former Guyana Goldfields workers, who were rehired when Zijin Mining Group took over Aurora, were transferred to sub-contractor Sinohydro.
This was confirmed by a letter dated November 8 and seen by this publication, in which AGM wrote to National Mine Workers Union (NMWU) President Sherwyn Downer, informing him that the first set of transfers took effect from November 1, 2020 – seven days prior.
In the letter, Downer was informed that the decision would affect a total of 141 workers, most of whom were former Guyana Goldfields employees who were rehired and placed on a three-month contract.
The transfer of 24 permanent employees, who Downer had said belonged to his Union, took effect from November 1, while 117 workers who were on the contract will be transferred from December 14, 2020, to January 2021.
According to AGM, “due to the efforts by the company to complete the preparation for the full resumption of operations, a number of former and new employees were hired.”
“The company has also engaged a contractor Sinohydro Corporation Limited for the Stripping and Mining activities at its Mines at Aurora. In this regard, the company has decided to transfer those employees who were hired by AGM to work for the contractor Sinohydro,” the letter had also said.
But following the controversy around this decision, it was reported in sections of the media on Sunday that Minister Hamilton would be paying a visit today to both Aurora and the Australian-owned mining company Troy Resources.
According to the Minister, the visit would serve to inspect working conditions at the locations after the Ministry received reports that a total of 41 workers from both locations tested positive for COVID-19 between October and November.
Meanwhile, out of the 5133 COVID-19 cases Guyana has recorded as of Sunday, Region Seven has accounted for 440 of those cases. 40 new cases have also been recorded, with seven persons in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and 143 deaths.