Another wave of Covid-19 risky for Lae, Guinness warns

By JIMMY KALEBE
GEOGRAPHICALLY, Lae should not be able to survive another Coronavirus (Covid-19) wave which means the public is prone and the risks extremely high, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) northern command Peter Guinness says.
Lae is the gateway to the Highlands region and Mamose regions so it is in a target zone, he said.
ACP Guinness, who is also a member of the Morobe Covid-19 emergency operations committee, said once Lae experienced an outbreak like Goroka in Eastern Highlands, emergency kits and the availability of health equipment at present could not cater for everyone.
“We heard that the Goroka Base Hospital is running short of oxygen cylinders to use on Covid-19 patients, but because of assistance from business houses and the public, they are able to provide that,” he said.
“Lae, being central and Goroka the gateway to the Highlands region, people travelling on the Okuk Highway will easily pass the virus to others in the Highlands region or Lae when they are infected.
“So with the manner in which people are not sticking to strict Covid-19 protocols in Lae now, if we experience another wave now, we would not survive it.”
“This is why strict measures has to be taken by authorities and that is not to scare people but to help them prevent the spread of Covid-19. When we tried to enforce the wearing of face masks, hand sanitising and social distancing, people still could not follow these simple rules; police now will start arresting those without face masks in public places.”
ACP Guinness said Lae and Morobe should be prepared early should there be another wave of Covid-19.