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The regulatory directive that impacted Rainy River, which is located near the border with Minnesota, US, included out-of-country travel; that applied to about 70% of the mine's workforce.

New Gold said the ramp-up will continue steadily "over the coming weeks" and will prioritise maintaining the safest working environment by using local individuals first. After an initial phase, the rotational workforce will be gradually reintroduced. 

"To ensure the safety of our workforce and our local communities, extra measures have been implemented in accordance with the recommendations of the Ontario Department of Public Health and will be overseen by our on-site nurse practitioner," the company said.

"Throughout this period, we remain in constant contact with the Northwestern Health Unit, a division of the Ontario Department of Public Health, to ensure our ongoing compliance with all provincial regulations and measures."

During the shutdown, the mine maintained a minimum crew for essential activities.

They also performed advanced preventative maintenance at the mill facility, stockpiled ore for the ramp-up, provided material for the tailings management area and monitored water levels.

In addition to Rainy River, New Gold also owns the active New Afton mine in British Columbia. It holds 100% of the Blackwater development project, also in British Columbia, and operates the Cerro San Pedro mine in Mexico, which is now in reclamation.