Ok Tedi Mining is planning to minimise the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its Papua New Guinea operations after the country declared a state of emergency on Monday.
With Papua New Guinea’s first coronavirus case confirmed, domestic flights in the country are now banned for two weeks, following their preexisting international travel ban.
Ok Tedi’s international travel bookings have been cancelled, with travellers set to return to Tabubil via Port Moresby.
The company’s registered office and senior operational management team is located in Tabubil, Papua New Guinea, with other representatives located in Brisbane, Australia.
“We support this step as a alogical and timely decision by government to apply a circuit breaker to the potential spread of the virus,” Ok Tedi chief executive Peter Graham said.
The company stated it is “doing everything” to prevent the coronavirus pandemic from affection its operations and communities.
Prevention of fatigue and distraction will be tackled by Ok Tedi over the next two weeks, with the company aiming to continue its operations.
Many ASX listed mining companies currently operate in Papua New Guinea, including Newcrest and Barrick.