Omicron Threatens Western Australia’s Mining Industry

The world's largest dump trucks shifting earth at Citic Pacific Mining's Sino Iron project in the Pilbara region of Western Australia on Mar. 5, 2010. AMY COOPES/AFP via Getty Images

Western Australia’s (WA) economic lifeblood is hanging in the balance with a growing number of mining workers forced to isolate amid the spread of Omicron in the state.

Around 80 workers at mining giant BHP’s Yandi iron ore mine in the Pilbara are isolated and awaiting test results after being identified as close contacts to another worker who—though testing negative before departure—returned a positive result after feeling unwell on site.

A case was also recorded at 29Metals’ Golden Grove copper and zinc mine near Yalgoo. The state’s total active COVID-19 cases are currently at 155.

WA has been mainly left untouched economically since the beginning of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus pandemic, with almost every other state in Australia being plunged into billion-dollar budget deficits, WA was the only exception, recording a $5.6 billion surplus on the back of skyrocketing iron ore prices.

BHP confirmed on Jan. 31 that a second case had been recorded linked to the first, with the worker testing positive, but not reporting any symptoms.

“Contact tracing and deep cleaning at the site is continuing, and other close and casual contacts remain in isolation as a precaution,” a BHP spokesperson said.

“The health and wellbeing of our people is our top priority, and everyone impacted is being fully supported during their isolation period.”

A coal train awaits loading at BHP Billiton's Mt Arthur coal mine in Muswellbrook, Australia. Some experts say that political disputes are the root cause of current coal shortages, such as China's power shortages being tied to its decision to ban coal from Australia. Ian Waldie/Getty Images

BHP had earlier attempted to enforce a company-wide vaccination requirement, a decision that was deemed neither lawful nor reasonable by the Fair Work Commission and subsequently overturned in December.

However, the mining sector in WA is still covered by the state government’s vaccination and booster mandate, which encompasses more than 75 percent of WA’s workforce—equivalent to more than a million workers.

Infected workers are currently required to spend 14 days of quarantine, but WA’s Chamber of Minerals and Energy has called to immediately bring forward a high caseload plan to lower this figure down to seven days.

Under the WA government’s high COVID caseload settings, which will begin if the state experiences a spike in cases, self-isolation will only be required for one week if no symptoms are present on the seventh day.

The new directive was unveiled after WA backflipped on its decision to reopen interstate borders, which was set for Feb. 5, with WA Premier Mark McGowan stating that two doses of vaccination were virtually unable to protect against the Omicron variant.

“The science shows that people with only two doses of a COVID vaccine have only a 4 percent protection against being infected by the Omicron variant, with a third dose it can provide a 64 percent protection against infection,” McGowan said on Jan. 20.

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McGowan said the aim was to get rates of third dose vaccination up above 80 to 90 percent. Currently, 97.6 percent of West Australians aged 12 and over have received only one dose, with 35.8 percent of those aged 16 and over receiving their third.

For WA’s unvaccinated residents, the WA government has barred their entry to all hospitality and fitness venues, as well as events with over 500 people.

The decision to keep borders closed has also been criticised by business groups, which many also speculated was due to a strained health system that would have been unable to handle Omicron hospitalisations.

“The state has had two years to prepare the health system to deal with the COVID outbreak, and this raises questions as to why they apparently remain so ill-prepared to deal with the far milder Omicron variant,” Australian Industry Group WA Head Kristian Stratton said.