COVID-19

Mexico mines heed lockdown orders

Country's Ministry of Health initially issued mandate on March 31

This article is 4 years old. Images might not display.

Mining Magazine is making some of its most important coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic freely available to readers. For more coverage, please see our COVID-19 hub. To subscribe to Mining Magazine, click here.

The government order was effective March 30 and will extend until April 30, as part of the country's plan to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

This earlier story confirmed the plans of some of the miners with operations in Mexico. Several more have followed suit, including the below.

First Majestic
Canada-based First Majestic Silver has announced the idling of its San Dimas, Santa Elena and La Encantada mines in Mexico in adherence to the order.

While it has been working since the decree to help make the case to the federal government that mining is essential and critical, especially silver due to its antibacterial properties, discussions continue and regulators have so far not altered their position on the issue.

The miner is reducing its workforce, implementing only care and maintenance activities such as security and environmental processes. It has withdrawn its whole-year guidance for production and costs.

During this period, First Majestic said its staff woudl consist of 17 full-time physicians and several healthcare professionals. These individuals are working in tandem with health authorities in Mexico.

Telson Mining
Another Canada-headquartered producer, Telson Mining, has suspended its operations at the Campo Morado mine in Guerrero, Mexico, and is currently ramping down its workforce.

The company said it already implemented control and safety measures several weeks ago, including the cancellation of non-essential visits, comprehensive sanitation measures and pre-screenings.

Campo Morado is now entering care and maintenance through the end of the stoppage.

"The health and safety of our employees, union partners, contractors and the communities in which they work and live are a priority," president and CEO Ralph Shearing said.

"We will continue to provide significant support to our employees and where possible to local community residents. To date, Telson has not experienced any incidents related to COVID-19 at its sites or corporate offices."

Coeur Mining
At the Palmarejo gold-silver operation in Mexico, owner Coeur Mining is also winding down operations for the duration of the government-ordered idling period.

It also has withdrawn its guidance for whole-year 2020, noting it will re-evaluate at a later point in the year and advise at that time.

While Palmarejo will be on care and maintenance, the company's mines in the US will continue operating.

It, too, has not been notified of any positive cases of the virus at its operations on either side of the border.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

A growing series of reports, each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector, brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence: Automation and Digitalisation Report 2024

Exclusive research for Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation and Digitalisation Report 2024 shows mining companies are embracing cutting-edge tech

editions

ESG Mining Company Index: Benchmarking the Future of Sustainable Mining

The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies. Using a robust framework, it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Exploration Report 2024 (feat. Opaxe data)

A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies, highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates.

editions

Mining Magazine Intelligence Future Fleets Report 2024

The report paints a picture of the equipment landscape and includes detailed profiles of mines that are employing these fleets