Health authorities in Mozambique have granted permission to French oil and gas giant, Total, to resume the reconstruction of its natural gas factories in the Afungi Peninsula.
Total is overseeing the building of two factories in the Afungi Peninsula in the northern province of Cabo Delago, to produce Liquefied Natural Gas. Work on the site had been suspended since April, when there was a reported case of a COVID-19 outbreak at the Total camp. The Afungi cases are reportedly the largest known cluster of the virus in Mozambique.
On Sunday, during the Ministry of Health’s daily press conference on the COVID-19 pandemic, the deputy general director of the National Health Institute, Eduardo Samo Gudo, announced that the situation in Afungi had been properly contained, so activities in Afungi could return to normal.
When asked about the resumption date, he replied that it was up to Total to decide. “This is a decision that depends on the owner of the camp (i.e. Total). What we are saying is that, from an epidemiological point of view, the outbreak has been controlled,” he said.
He announced that all the workers of the company, who were held in compulsory isolation at the Total camp, had been discharged except one, whose sample was being tested and if the result came out negative, he would also be discharged. He noted that all proper measures had been put in place to avoid a case of recontamination.
The number of infected persons in the country is still on the rise, and he warned the company to be careful as not to allow for new yet-to-be tested people to come into their closed space.
The Minister said that the measures taken might attract additional costs to the government and the companies – a situation, which he said was affecting companies all over the world due to the pandemic, not just Mozambique, “to make the transition to what is being called the new normal. That means we learn to live with this virus in a context in which strict measures are taken.”
The French giant holds a 26.5% stake in Mozambique LNG and it is the operator of the project located on the offshore gas fields in Area One of the Rovuma Basin.
.%20What%20we%20are%20saying%20is%20that,%20from%20an%20epidemiological%20point%20of%20view,%20the%20outbreak%20has%20been%20controlled,/em he%20said.He%20announced%20that%20all%20the%20workers%20of%20the%20company,%20who%20were%20held%20in%20compulsory%20isolation%20at%20the%20Total%20camp,%20had%20been%20discharged%20except%20one,%20whose%20sample%20was%20being%20tested%20and%20if%20the%20result%20came%20out%20negative,%20he%20would%20also%20be%20discharged.%20He%20noted%20that%20all%20proper%20measures%20had%20been%20put%20in%20place%20to%20avoid%20a%20case%20of%20recontamination.a%20href=https://ibekachikwu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/b7233f34-731d-4b0d-bbd7-fb3b4f289654.jpgimg%20class=size-medium%20wp-image-1847%20alignright%20src=https://ibekachikwu.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/b7233f34-731d-4b0d-bbd7-fb3b4f289654-300x287.jpg%20alt=%20width=300%20height=287%20//aThe%20number%20of%20infected%20persons%20in%20the%20country%20is%20still%20on%20the%20rise,%20and%20he%20warned%20the%20company%20to%20be%20careful%20as%20not%20to%20allow%20for%20new%20yet-to-be%20tested%20people%20to%20come%20into%20their%20closed%20space.The%20Minister%20said%20that%20the%20measures%20taken%20might%20attract%20additional%20costs%20to%20the%20government%20and%20the%20companies%20–%20a%20situation,%20which%20he%20said%20was%20affecting%20companies%20all%20over%20the%20world%20due%20to%20the%20pandemic,%20not%20just%20Mozambique,%20emto%20make%20the%20transition%20to%20what%20is%20being%20called%20the%20new%20normal.%20That%20means%20we%20learn%20to%20live%20with%20this%20virus%20in%20a%20context%20in%20which%20strict%20measures%20are%20taken./emThe%20French%20giant%20holds%20a%20strong26.5%/strong%20stake%20in%20Mozambique%20LNG%20and%20it%20is%20the%20operator%20of%20the%20project%20located%20on%20the%20offshore%20gas%20fields%20in%20Area%20One%20of%20the%20Rovuma%20Basin.){kind=link}