The impacts of Covid-19 on the major mining municipalities in Brazil

Abstract

This paper discusses the influences of mining on the spread of the new coronavirus in the largest mining municipalities in Brazil, since its determination as an essential activity to face Covid-19. The theoretical discussion approaches the doubt as to whether or not the spread of the new coronavirus is greater between workers who maintained their activities. The objective of this paper is to investigate how the mining activity has been affected and if it's influencing the panorama of the growing contagion in Brazil. To measure the incidence rates, the methodology involved quantitative and qualitative analysis based on a case study selection of mining municipalities and the monitoring of job offers. In addition to bibliographic research and an economic assessment of the Brazilian mineral sector, the investigation focuses on the possible link between risks to local population and worker’s health in the continuity of their activities. Georeferencing techniques and the proposition of actions in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) applied for the mineral sector were also part of the analysis methodology. The results verified that: (i) there is a higher degree of incidence of Covid-19 in the selected mining municipalities than in the other municipalities of the same state; (ii) there is a higher ratio of coronavirus cases in the selected mining municipalities than the others in the same population range; (iii) the stable supply of job offers in the mining sector between 2019 and 2020 confirms the maintenance of activities in the selected mining municipalities.