Vale says it is extending the care and maintenance period at its Voisey’s Bay mine in Labrador, Canada, by up to three months while continuing to monitor progress and events associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

On March 16, Vale announced a four-week care and maintenance period at Voisey’s Bay due to the “unique remoteness of the area” and as a precaution to help protect the health and well-being of Nunatsiavut and Innu indigenous communities in Labrador in the face of the COVID-19 spread.

The company said, as of yesterday, no employee at Voisey’s Bay had tested positive for the virus.

The Long Harbour processing plant will continue to operate, drawing down on stockpiled concentrates to produce nickel and cobalt at forecast levels, the company said. Copper concentrate production at the site will be reduced due to the mine stoppage, with an impact of up to 6,000 t in the first half of 2020.

The company said: “Vale reaffirms its commitment to the safety of its people and the communities in which it operates and will keep investors and markets informed of future developments.”