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Under alert level four the Macraes operation was able to continue processing stockpiles and broken stocks and continue plant maintenance on that level.

It was determined that actually putting the Macraes plant onto care and maintenance would have involved more people on site than taking the stockpile processing route.

Oceanagold had stocks on hand for an extended period of operating beyond the initial four-week period had that been necessary.

At Waihi Oceanagold suspended development of the Martha underground and regional exploration activities.

Following the completion of primary stoping at the Correnso underground the processing plant was shut down in March.

Oceanagold expects to incur a $1.8 million for that shutdown.

With the alert level reduced a notch to level three, development at Martha underground and regional exploration activities have resumed.

At Macraes Oceanagold is restarting mining and processing activities, albeit under what it calls strict and safe operating practices.

All administrative staff and other employees who can work from home will continue to do so for the duration of the level three alert period.

Oceanagold president and CEO Michael Holmes said the company's COVID-19 operating practices included health screening procedures, physical distancing, contact tracing and site access restricted to essential employees and contractors only.

"With these strict protocols in place, we have resumed mining and processing at Macraes and development of the Martha underground," he said.

To date Oceanagold has not had any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among its employees or contractors.