Barker: PNG must remain vigilant in Covid-19 fight

PAPUA New Guinea needs to remain vigilant by maintaining control on international travel from areas with high Covid-19 infections such West Papua in Indonesia, an economist says.
PNG Institute of National Affairs executive director Paul Barker said even though the state of emergency was over, security arrangements should remain in place including measures to safeguard and restore the economy.
“These measures should be targeted and measured as the critical issue is public acceptance and application, rather than imposition,” he said.
Barker said PNG still needed to know more about the Covid-19, its behaviour and why it was not spreading in the country.
“It was probably because of the early shutdown of the international borders,” he said.
“But factors like young average population age and other factors may be determinants.
“On the other hand, limited testing and poor communication may have been factors in reducing numbers recorded, the spread, or feedback.
“Clearly, PNG will need to maintain safeguards, at least until the risks are reduced or effective cures or vaccine introduced.
“Unfortunately, that will continue to impact important industries like international tourism and hospitality and less directly other trade.”
Barker said it would have helped to have wider public consultation on the National Pandemic Act 2020 as it seemed hard to justify restraint on freedom of information and expression on the basis of a health crisis.
“Such transparency on measures and financial management is even more important during times of crisis and major public expenditure than normal,” he said.