Centerra Gold Reports 14-day Reduction in Mount Milligan Mill Production; Provides General COVID-19 Update

All figures are in United States dollars unless otherwise stated.

TORONTO, April 01, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Centerra Gold Inc. (“Centerra”) (TSX: CG) reports that as a precautionary measure in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Mount Milligan Mine in British Columbia, Canada will significantly reduce manpower and temporarily reduce mill throughput to 50,000 tonnes per day for a two week period commencing April 6, 2020.  While there are no reported cases of COVID-19 at the Mount Milligan Mine, the mine is remote and has a large camp accommodation facility where substantially all of the on-site employees reside while on their rotation.  Most employees work on a two-week rotation, and April 6 is the next scheduled rotation change.  During this two-week period, mill feed will be sourced from surface ore stockpiles and be processed using only the primary crusher. Mining activities will continue but will be limited to support building of the tailings storage facility. The site will also continue preparation to capture and store the maximum volume of water from the upcoming spring melt. 

As previously disclosed, the Company significantly reduced manpower and operations at the Öksüt Project in Turkey on March 31, 2020 for an initial period of two weeks.  This decision was taken in response to recent Turkish government initiatives aimed to reducing the spread of COVID-19. The Company has also temporarily closed its head office in Toronto and regional offices in Bishkek, Kyrgyz Republic, Prince George, British Columbia and Ankara, Turkey and has asked its workforce to operate remotely.

Kumtor operations and the molybdenum operations continue for the time being and, in the case of the Kumtor Mine, with the support of the Kyrgyz Republic Government. 

The Company’s operations, regardless of the level of activity, have implemented a number of pre-emptive measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of its employees, contractors, communities and other stakeholders.  These measures range from enhanced workplace hygiene and social distancing, conducting temperature checks using non-contact thermometers, asking health questions of all individuals entering the site, limiting the number of employees at site and in the camp, and limiting the number of people in the kitchen and eating areas to promote social distancing.  A standard operating procedure has been implemented at all sites in case there is a need for individual isolation and subsequent transportation from site for any individual who exhibits COVID-19 related symptoms.  Each operating site is also taking proactive measures to ensure business continuity, including to find potential alternatives to acquire supplies and to ensure its products can be sold and monetized.