20 Mar 2020 07:05
HIGHLAND GOLD MINING LIMITED
20 March 2020
Highland Gold Updates on COVID-19 Policies and Measures
Highland Gold Mining Limited ("Highland Gold" or the "Company", AIM: HGM) reports on policies and proactive measures being taken by the Company in response to the international COVID-19 pandemic. The health and well-being of Highland Gold's employees is of paramount importance, and the Company is taking several steps to protect them, beginning with the creation of a COVID-19 task force.
At present, no employees of Highland Gold are known to have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. Team members throughout the Company have been supplied with information on protecting themselves against infection as well as on available medical services, including regional hotlines set up by the Russian government that assist in receiving coronavirus testing.
From now until the end of April, the Company has implemented strict limits on work travel, restricted vacations to only those previously-scheduled, and asked that colleagues refrain from travel abroad. Anyone arriving from outside of Russia or exhibiting any signs of illness has been asked to respect a 14-day self-isolation period.
Due to the remote location of Highland Gold's operating and development assets and geographically-restricted access to those locations, the Company has not experienced any disruptions to its mining and processing plant operations and construction projects. Likewise, the Company is not currently experiencing material disruptions to its supply chain.
Mine employees and drivers at Highland Gold's operating subsidiaries already undergo pre-shift and pre-trip screening upon entering the workplace as part of a ground-breaking health monitoring system implemented last year. Special diagnostic equipment measures a range of parameters such as temperature, blood pressure and heart rate, with those exhibiting health issues restricted from work and others at risk identified for future monitoring.
In addition, the Company last year contracted recognized worldwide healthcare provider International SOS for services at its mine sites. International SOS is assisting with supplementary preventative measures, including screening of all shift employees in regional capitals before they travel to site. Contractors arriving at the mines are undergoing intensified health screening.
At the Moscow corporate office, the Company has offered most employees the option to work at home and is organizing remote access to any necessary IT resources. Operational meetings are likewise being conducted remotely.
The Russian government has instituted a state of heightened preparedness with respect to COVID-19 and is implementing measures designed to mitigate the effects of the pandemic that are, thus far, complimentary to those undertaken by Highland Gold. The Company will continue to closely monitor the situation with its mining operations, supply chain, and the communities where we work, and will provide an update should there be any substantive changes.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Highland Gold Mining Ltd. | John Mann, Head of Communications + 7 495 424 95 21 Duncan Baxter, Non-Executive Director + 44 (0) 1534 814 202
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Numis Securities Limited (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker) | John Prior, James Black, Paul Gillam +44 (0) 207 260 1000
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BMO Capital Markets Limited (Joint Broker) | Tom Rider, Pascal Lussier Duquette, Neil Elliot +44 (0) 207 236 1010
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Peat & Co (Joint Broker) | Charlie Peat +44 (0) 207 104 2334 |