Newcrest Mining confirms positive COVID-19 case at its Papua New Guinea mine

A major mining company has confirmed one of its workers has contracted COVID-19 and other staff have been quarantined.

Newcrest Mining has confirmed one of its workers has contracted COVID-19. Picture: Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg News

Newcrest Mining has confirmed a worker travelling to its remote Papua New Guinea operation has tested positive for coronavirus, forcing a slew of staff into isolation.

The Melbourne-based mining giant said a PNG citizen travelling from Port Moresby to Lihir Island in the country’s east tested positive for the disease on arrival for work at Newcrest’s gold mine.

Newcrest said the virus case hadn’t affected its mining operations at this stage.

The employee travelled to the island on July 30 and has been moved into isolation.

All people travelling on the same flight have also been placed into a 14-day self-isolation period.

The company said all other tests had returned a negative reading.

“Newcrest has in place a stringent isolation and testing protocol for all inbound flight and ferry arrivals,” the company said.

“Every workforce member arriving at Lihir must undergo mandatory 14-day isolation in a dedicated, guarded facility.”

Lihir Island has been placed under strict isolation from the PNG mainland under direction from the island’s chief medical officer.

Newcrest said a positive case also triggered extensive contact tracing and further precautionary testing of staff.