Briefs

Institution resumes classes
THE Papua New Guinea Education Institute (PNGEI) in Port Moresby resumed classes for its 500 students on Tuesday and is looking forward to completing the academic year by December, director Dr Zui Neofa says. “We are following all the health protocols given to us and we also have two unoccupied dormitories to be used as quarantine facilities when and if we need to.”

Company offers support
The New Britain Palm Oil Ltd (NBPOL) has offered a grant support programme this week in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic in Papua New Guinea. NBPOL group chief executive officer Jamie Graham said funds allocated would be for the procurement of personal protective equipment and other medical kits to help frontline workers and responders in their Covid-19 preparedness and response initiatives.

Awareness in communities
MORE than 10 communities consisting of 144 households in Wakunai of the Autonomous Region of Bougainville have been more aware about the Covid-19 pandemic through awareness carried out over the last two weeks. Despite the state of emergency in place, World Vision representatives carried out the awareness covering Inivus, Drylog, Teoken, Takaratabu, Kenama, Barani, Kuruveto, Gabutai, Niu Camp, Asitavi, Toreraiva and Kepesiai.

Provinces receive equipment
PERSONAL protective equipment (PPEs) have been donated to Western and Gulf to help protect frontline health workers and communities from the Covid-19, thanks to Hevilift. The donation included more than 7,000 medical-grade masks and shields, gloves, infrared thermometers, hand sanitisers and disinfectant spray packs.

School orders masks
The Jimi Secondary School in Jiwaka has ordered more than 2,000 masks for its students, teachers and staff to use from Monday when classes resumes for the second term. Apart from the masks, the school has also allocated a room for any Covid-19 patient in the school and it has also provided fresh water where students can wash their hands.

Hevilift scales down ops
HEVILIFT has scaled down its operations in PNG in response to the Government’s restrictions on travel and fly-in-fly-out arrangements. The Mineral Resources Development Company, which owns 50 per cent of Hevilift, said the company had a close connection with resource owners in Western and Gulf.

Concerns raised on leave
National Airline Employees Association president Samson Mul said employees were left in the dark without proper explanation or protocol on what the consequences were for taking leave. “We are concerned that we have been left out and we are waiting for the Government’s response,” Mul said.

Govt called to be responsible
PNG Energy Workers’ Union general-secretary Santee Margis has called on the Government to be responsible to workers. Margis said: “The SOE should not been seen as a war against the workers to be laid off unnecessarily.”