Covid-19 measures still stand

By ROBINSON LEKA
THE National Control Centre’s Niupela Pasin team will continue to monitor sports this year amid the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Team leader Christopher Raymond Jr told The National that national federations would continue to follow the “new normal” guidelines in requesting approval for their competitions this year.
“We will be using the same process from last year with each competition to provide their Covid-19 guidelines,” he said.
“We will also be checking and monitoring the sports that have been granted approval.
“It’s still too early to determine if we can move quickly back into sports so we don’t want to rush the process and get everyone started at once.
“There are also other important issues that competitions must consider like vaccination which is still an important thing that everyone in sports must try to do.”
Raymond said the country was still cautious of another outbreak and sports gatherings were common spreaders in centres around the country.
The Papua New Guinea Sports Foundation, under the pandemic management committee, also raised their concern on vaccination last year with federations encouraged to get athletes and officials vaccinated.
Committee chairman Dr Kapua Kapua reiterated that vaccination was still on a voluntary basis, however, it was up to federations to enforce and monitor their own policies.
The Digicel Cup last year was the first national competition to implement the “no jab, no play” policy along with the national cricket teams, the Barramundis (men) and Lewas (women).