Buyer of Australia gold project quarantined over coronavirus, delaying sale

A small gold project in Australia that was set to be sold to a Hong Kong-based company was put on hold due to the buyer showing symptoms of coronavirus.

One member of the family showed symptoms attributed to the virus, which led to the quarantine of the rest of the members, the seller said.

Australia’s Ausmex Mining Group opened the sale for its Gilded Rose Gold Project in Queensland to Hong Kong’s Jin Resources Ltd, but due to the incident, the A$4 million ($2.7 million) settlement was extended at a later date.

“The Principal of Jin, along with members of his family, fell ill around mid-January and have been quarantined and isolated after one of their infants showed symptoms of the coronavirus,” the gold miner said in a statement.

Jin Resources said that the settlement was imminent.

The coronavirus outbreak in China had already infected almost 5,000 people, with a death toll of over 130. Airlines worldwide had already restricted flights to China while other global companies had placed travel limits. Stores and areas within Wuhan, the ground zero of the virus, as well as other affected cities in China have been closed.

Australia has five confirmed cases of coronavirus.