Newcrest confirms that it is managing a COVID-19 case in its isolation and treatment facility at Lihir Island.
The individual, a PNG national, flew into Lihir from Port Moresby on 30 July and as per our protocol was isolated along with the other arrivals in a designated isolation camp while testing was conducted and the 14 day isolation period completed.
The individual is asymptomatic and has been moved from the isolation camp into a separate isolation and treatment facility. We are providing the individual with care and support.
All people who travelled with the individual to Lihir do not have any symptoms and remain within our isolation camp. They have been subject to testing and have tested negative. Further testing of those people will be undertaken during the 14 day isolation period.
To date, our testing and containment protocols have prevented disruption to the operation.
COVID-19 Protocols at Lihir Newcrest has in place a stringent isolation and testing protocol for all inbound flight and ferry arrivals. Every workforce member arriving at Lihir must undergo mandatory 14 day isolation in a dedicated, guarded facility.
During isolation they are tested using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) method three times at set intervals, and released only after all three tests return a negative result. Expatriates must complete an additional PCR test in their country of origin and return a negative result before they are authorised to enter PNG.
Newcrest has established a COVID-19 treatment facility for treatment and a separate isolation facility designed for positive and suspected positive workforce cases, and any persons who test positive are removed from the isolation camp and brought to the treatment facility or isolation facility as directed by the Lihir Chief Medical Officer based on the level of treatment necessary. Positive case detection also triggers contact tracing and precautionary testing and isolation steps.