Failure fuels rise in cases

By LULU MARK
THE non-compliance of the people to the Covid-19 control measures has led to the spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in Papua New Guinea, Minister for Health and HIV/AIDS Jelta Wong says.
“The surge is mostly because of complacency within the country,” he said.
“We’ve drop the ball in trying to enforce the protocol and niupela pasin.
“Due to budget restraints, we had with the Department of Health and not putting enough into the National Control Centre we allowed ourselves (and) for our people to start move around freely without having masks on.
“These are simple measures that we have to push back into the community.
“The controller will have to use his powers to ensure in the new measures that come out to ensure that people follow the protocols.”
Wong said if the protocols were followed the surge could be brought down.
Pandemic Response Controller David Manning said the measures were there to guide people how to behave during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Taking into consideration the gross ignorance of the public in adhering to the measures, there will be a heightened level of enforcement, especially in areas of shared public space such as PMVs and sporting events, regarding all the things that are covered in the measures,” he said.
“We ensure that enforcement interventions are followed not only to minimise the risk of exposure but also encourage compliance.
“In the past, it was all about enforcing measures, which our community at large were ignorant and apprehensive of.”
Manning said now people know what the Covid-19 was and they also know what to do to avoid contracting the Covid-19.
“They are now aware of what the measures mean so it all boils down to attitude,” he said.
Wong said the measures were there for people to be responsible about.
He said the onus was on the public to do the right thing.