Vale has signed an agreement with the Brazilian Public Labor Ministry (MPT), to monitor COVID-19 cases at its Itabira mining complex as the number of people getting infected by the virus rises across the country.
The sanitary measures, to be undertaken by the Brazilian miner include testing all workers every 21 days, the MPT said in a statement, adding that the company has 15 days to draw up the details of the program to avoid the spread in its facility.
Itabira mining complex resumed operations on June 18 after remain shut for more than 10 days following a rise in COVID-19 cases.
The miner plans to gradually ramp up production at the Itabira complex and has not revised its iron ore production guidance of 310-330mn mt in 2020.
The Itabira mining complex produced 35.9mn mt of iron ore in 2019, down by 13.8pc from 41.7mn mt produced in 2018, according to data from Vale.
Other steelmakers and iron ore miners have started resuming operations despite an increase in COVID-19 cases across the country. Brazil has more than 1.35 million cases, according to official figures on Monday, June 29.