Union representatives of the company Codelco, the world’s largest copper producer, said that about three thousand miners got sick COVID-19, urging the leadership of the group and the authorities to take additional security measures with the expansion of production.
According to experts, such a large number of cases threatens to "catastrophic" consequences for strategic sectors of the economy of Chile. Juan Carlos Guajardo, head of consulting company Plusmining in Santiago, told Reuters that the mining industry of the country "is approaching the verge of a dangerous".
Patricio Elgueta, President of the Federation of health workers, bringing together a group of trade unions, the company told the Agency that as of the fifth of July recorded 2 thousand 843 cases of coronavirus among the workers of Codelco. In most companies, where during a pandemic has cut 40 percent of the miners, declined to comment. Last week, the CEO of Codelco, Octavio Araneda said in an interview with the newspaper El Mercurio that any further restrictions on mining will be "catastrophic" for Chile. He rejected allegations that the company "failed" response to the pandemic.
Some trade unions and social groups called on Codelco and other mining companies to halt work around the mining center of Calama, a desert city surrounded by some of the largest copper deposits in Chile.
Earlier Algeta said that the miners are exhausted and afraid to get sick, but continue to work to make ends meet. According to him, the unions are weighing the proposal, voiced during the regional round table with the participation of health workers, politicians and representatives of social groups to cut production to "low" at all mines around the most affected by the pandemic COVID-19 city of Calama with the purpose of disinfection. According to the statistics of state Agency of copper, to the region of Antofagasta, where the city of Calama, accounts for more than half the production of copper ore in Chile.
the meanwhile
The number of registered cases of coronavirus in the world on Thursday exceeded $ 12 million. Data was provided by the Johns Hopkins University, which maintains statistics on disease online. As of 6:00 Moscow time in the world was 548 896 deaths and 12 012 125 cases of infection with coronavirus. On the United States with more than three million cases accounts for a quarter of all cases of infection. On the eve of the country, it has grown to world-record, surpassing the mark of 60 thousand in one day. In 35 States there is a steady increase in the number of new cases since last week. The real morbidity and mortality would likely be higher due to delays in reporting, different definitions and yet��user testing, as well as suspected underreporting in some countries, says the Guardian.
