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Through the $20 million community support fund Newcrest will spend half on PNG efforts while a portion will go toward vaccine research.

Newcrest MD and CEO Sandeep Biswas said the health and safety of the company's people and host communities was its prime concern.

"The community support fund will initially focus on increasing the availability of medical care and equipment to cope with the pandemic, as well as assisting in the provision of other essential goods and services, in the communities that host Newcrest's operations worldwide," he said.

Newcrest has operations at Telfer and Havieron in Western Australia, Cadia in New South Wales and Lihr in PNG.

Biswas said the company had no confirmed cases of COVID-19 at any of its operations or projects, all mines were continuing to operate and there was no change to the company's guidance for FY20.

He said the limitations on the movement of people interstate and internationally was being managed effectively.

Passenger screening and health checks for all fly-in, fly-out employees, contractors and visitors to Newcrest sites are in place and all workers not required on site have been sent home.

Immuno-compromised workers or those undergoing medical treatment have also been told not to come to work.

At Telfer and Havieron, which is 45km from Telfer in WA's northwest, interstate FIFO travel has been suspended and rosters altered. Face -to-face meetings with the local Martu people have been banned.

Biswas said Newcrest recognised it had a responsibility to help protect people in remote and regional communities around Telfer and was working with the Western Desert Lands Aboriginal Corporation to help the Martu through the crisis.

At Cadia work is continuing as most of the workforce is residential, he said, with the transportation of concentrate from Blayney to Port Kembla remaining open.

Biswas said at the Lihr gold mine on Niolam Island in PNG's northeast operations and maintenance cycles would continue in the near to medium term.

Ports are still open for essential supplies and Newcrest can continue shipping dore from Lihr to the Perth Mint.

Biswas said the company also sourced personal protective equipment for clinics run by the Lihir medical centre and was working with the local government and communities to support measures that reduced the risk of COVID-19transmission.

These are aimed at keeping local communities informed, limiting community gatherings and reducing travel between villages and islands.

While guidance remains unchanged for the year Newcrest told the Australian Securities Exchange the suspension of operations at the Fruta del Norte mine in Ecuador, where it held a 32% interest, placed about 20,000 ounces of gold at risk.