Barrick expects 8.5% drop in first-quarter gold output

(Reuters) - Barrick Gold expects a 8.5% drop in first-quarter gold production, it said on Thursday, as the COVID-19 pandemic forced miners to scale back operations and shutdown mines.The mining industry has been bracing for a prolonged drop in commodity prices and has been worried that the coronavirus outbreak could fuel a rare simultaneous drop in both supply and demand for metals used to power the global economy.Barrick said it expects gold output of 1.25 million ouncesfor the first quarter,..