Bougainville tightens entry points

THE Autonomous Region of Bougainville will tighten up its monitoring and surveillance at all entry points and borders, following an increase in locally transmitted cases of the Covid-19 in Port Moresby.
Bougainville state of emergency controller and chief of the Bougainville police service Francis Tokura said the Port Moresby cases were alarming and raised concerns for their general election this year.
“We have a very important election to deliver,” he said.
“Therefore, we will have to secure our entry points and borders to ensure, we are Covid-19 free.”
On air travel to Bougainville, Tokura encouraged airline operators, to ensure intending travellers met the mandatory requirements by obtaining a travel approval letter and a quarantine/medical clearance from a registered doctor or healthcare facility.
He said he had received reports that passengers were fronting up at Jackson airport in Port Moresby with no medical certificates boarding flights bound for Bougainville.
However, upon arrival in Buka, they were showing electronic copies of medical clearance certificate.
Tokura said intending travellers had to produce all mandatory documents during check­ in at their port of origin and upon arrival at Buka airport for quarantine checks.
“We will not allow passengers showing electronic copies of quarantine/medical clearance certificate upon arrival in Buka,” he said.
“Should this happen, our quarantine team will quarantine you for a full 14-days.”
Passengers who were on duty travel into Bougainville, are to contact the AROB operations command centre on [email protected] call the AROB hotline: 7446 0830.