The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19. The current outbreak is believed to be the new Coronavirus and was identified in China during December 2019, at the Wuhan City Market in Hubei Province.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, tiredness, and dry cough. Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually.

Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell.

Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.

Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness.

People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.

People can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick.

The World Health Organisation is assessing ongoing research on the ways COVID-19 is spread and will continue to share updated findings, please visit: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019

You can reduce your chances of being infected or spreading COVID-19 by taking some simple precautions:

• Keep at least 1 metre distance from people
• Wash your hands frequently and for at least 20 seconds with soap and water
• Carry hand sanitiser for use when soap and water are not readily available. Some authorities are advising hand sanitisers containing 60-85% alcohol
• Avoid touching your face
• If you need to cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue, dispose of the used tissue immediately
• Avoid shaking hands, kissing people and other personal contact.
• Stay home if you feel unwell. If you have a fever, cough and difficulty breathing, seek medical attention and call in advance. Follow the directions of your local health authority.

We have put in a place a range of measures to safeguard the health and safety of our employees and contractors at our mines, including:

• regular communications on best practice hygiene and health recommendations
• temperature screening
• strictly monitoring access to site
• social distancing measures
• providing additional resources such as hand sanitiser and cleaning equipment
• intensified cleaning at offices and sites
• working from home for all our office staff
• restrictions on non-essential visits to site
• suspension of all non-essential business travel
• mandatory 14-day quarantine for all travelers arriving in West Africa

To date, we have had six confirmed COVID-19 cases, with one fully recovered. All the people who came into contact with the confirmed cases have been identified and placed in quarantine. None of the confirmed cases have been in contact with members from our local communities.

Alongside strictly monitoring access to and from site, we temperature screen everyone coming onto the mine, all workers sanitize their hands coming to and leaving from the mine site.

We apply the stringent preventative measures recommended by the national health authorities and the World Health Organization, including strictly monitoring access to and from site, temperature screening everyone coming onto the mine, and ensuring all workers sanitize their hands coming to and leaving from the mine site

We are strictly monitoring access to our mine sites. We adapt our measures in line with the decisions taken by the governments.

Since the outbreak, we have been working closely with local and national health authorities in our operating countries, Cote d’Ivoire and, Burkina Faso, and Mali, in implementing all their recommendations.

In addition, we have also provided the local community health centers around our mines with protective equipment, such as hand sanitizer, hydro-alcoholic gel, gloves, masks, laser thermometers, etc.

We are also sensitizing our local communities by broadcasting the government's COVID-19 awareness campaign in local languages over our radio stations.