Subsequent to two employees from the Thembelani shaft, Rustenburg operations testing positive late last week, the company carried out an extensive track and trace exercise. A total of 120 tests was conducted, and 51 came back positive.
All contacts traced were asymptomatic at the time the tests were performed. All positive cases have been counselled and moved from quarantine to isolation in line with national health protocols, with on-site facilities available for those who may need them. The workplaces to which these cases were traced have been closed and the related crew members who did not test positive (21 people) working in shifts at these workplaces, have been quarantined. The other contacts who did not test positive (47 people) will also remain in quarantine for 14 days as a precaution in line with the company’s guidelines and protocols.
Apart from the infections at Thembelani, the other cases have been isolated incidents that are widely spread across the operations, both in the underground environment and on surface, with employees residing in various regional communities.
