Miners are used to breaking new ground, whether as part of the exploration process or executing a pit-wall pushback, but the COVID-19 pandemic has thrust the industry deep into hostile and unforgiving territory where the wrong decisions can lead to calamitous consequences, in both human and business terms. Working to maintain the necessities of business survival in the face of incomplete medical knowledge about the specific nature of COVID-19's symptoms, disease progression and standard treatment protocols - plus the absence of plentiful and reliable testing supplies - mining companies have been scrambling since early March to piece together strategies that ensure employee safety, preserve operational infrastructure and comply with government regulations in a tense environment complicated by workers' apprehensions, cultural distinctions and political pressure.
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