Hochschild Mining pauses Argentina ops as govt declares emergency

Hochschild Mining said it pausing operations at its San Jose mine in Argentina after the government imposed a nationwide mandatory quarantine to contain the advancement of COVID-19.

The quarantine came into effect from Friday and was set to last until March 31. Hochschild on Wednesday temporarily shuttered two of its mines in Peru after the government declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus.

"As per the Peruvian operations, Hochschild will continue with a reduced workforce operating care and maintenance activities," the company said in a statement.

"This is in order to sustain the appropriate safety and environmental systems, as well as other critical activities, including ventilation, water pumping, maintenance of critical equipment and environmental measurements among others."