Newmont Corporation announced today that coronavirus-related government restrictions in Peru will require safely ramping down mining operations at Yanacocha gold mine while gold production from leach pads and managing critical safety and environmental activities will continue.

Yanacocha has been operating normally since the beginning of the year and represents approximately 3% of the company’s 2020 attributable gold production outlook. As the situation is dynamic and the duration of these restrictions uncertain, the company says it is currently unable to determine the ultimate impact on Yanacocha’s production and costs for 2020.

”The health and safety of our workforce and host communities takes precedence above all else,” said Tom Palmer, President and Chief Executive Officer. “While we have no confirmed COVID-19 cases among Newmont’s workforce or any major disruptions to production at our other sites at this time, we are proactively taking steps to protect our people and the continuity of our business during this global pandemic.”