Ok Tedi Mining Limited is continuously scaling up its COVID-19 testing and vaccination program to ensure staff, contractors, Tabubil town residents, and the local community are protected from serious and fatal symptoms of COVID-19.
As of yesterday, 2, 733 staff and contractors have received the vaccine, with 301 fully vaccinated after receiving their second jab. This represents 23% of the workforce receiving at least one dose.
With a steady vaccination uptake OTML aims to achieve herd immunity before the end of the year to enable the operation and people’s lives to return to some form of normality.
OTML Managing Director & CEO, Musje Werror said,
“The Company is doing all it can in line with its duty of care culture to protect the workforce, residents, and the communities, and we encourage everyone to also show their personal duty of care and come forward to get tested and vaccinated through our random testing and vaccination roll-out programs.”
Werror said, “We have an on-going vaccine awareness program led by the Tabubil Hospital team and the Communications and Public Relations Department, which is contributing to the increase in testing and vaccination numbers at Ok Tedi and I commend the team for their efforts.”
He added that there is still a lot of hesitancy in the workforce, however with the support from OTML and Contractor leaders, the vaccination message is getting through. The immediate target is to use up the remaining vials on-site before they expire on the 29th of July.
The vaccination roll-out program commenced on the 21st May 2021 and is conducted at all OTML Operations sites including Tabubil, Kiunga, Bige, and Port Moresby.
Since July 5th, vaccinations have been occurring daily from Monday to Saturday at Bige, Kiunga, Tabubil; while from Monday to Friday at the Folomian Mine/Mill Clinic daily from Monday to Friday.
A random testing program is also in place and progressing well. The random testing program is critical to detect any change in the presence of the virus while ensuring appropriate actions are taken by the Company to address the results and their implications.
With PNG recording its first Delta Variant positive case recently, the OTML management is currently reviewing its management response plan to manage an outbreak of the Delta variant at its operational sites.
