Russia's largest steelmaker, NLMK Group has requested that all employees over the age of 65 stay at home during the COVID-19 outbreak.

According to the company, employees 'of an advanced age' are being given the choice of working from home or taking a paid vacation or quarantine leave until 30 April 2020. The end date could change, based on how the situation develops.

Mikhail Arkhipov, NLMK group vice president, HR and management system, commented: “We are committed to making sure that our older employees stay home, since they are the most vulnerable to COVID-19. We are currently doing everything we can to ensure the safety and welfare of our staff. We are constantly introducing additional measures to curb the spread of the infection and to mitigate associated health risks for our team.”