Vale signs deal with authorities on Covid-19 monitoring at Itabira mines

RIO DE JANEIRO – Brazilian miner Vale has signed an agreement on monitoring for possible coronavirus cases at its Itabira complex, a major iron ore production facility temporarily shuttered earlier this month out of health concerns, authorities said on Thursday.

A number of sanitary measures including testing all workers every 21 days were agreed with labor prosecutors in Minas Gerais state and with a local court, the authorities said, adding that Vale now had 15 days to draw up the details of a virus mitigation plan.

Prosecutors will use reports the company has agreed to produce regularly to decide on possible new actions at the complex, where changes in production levels can potentially affect iron ore prices internationally.

The Itabira complex produced almost 36 million tonnes of iron ore in 2019, according to Vale, out of the company's total production of roughly 302-million tonnes.