Governor wants SOE extended

The National National

By SAMUEL BARIASI
NATIONAL Capital District (NCD)Governor Powes Parkop wants the state of emergency (SOE) to be extended for another two months in Port Moresby and border provinces Western and West Sepik.
Parkop suggested that the SOE be maintained in the three provinces, with some relaxation under the control of provincial police commanders.
“We do not know yet whether the virus (Covid-19) is here or it will come again, therefore, we cannot relent,” he said.
“It will be effective for these three provinces to have their provincial police commanders as the emergency controllers instead of having the police commissioner.”
Parkop proposed to a gathering of NCD Commission’s Covid-19 taskforce that it should be maintained even if the SOE ended.
“We have to push for massive antibody tests as well to know for sure whether the Covid-19 is here or is gone,” he said.
“If we do that, we can eliminate some assumptions about the virus.
“We should meet on a monthly basis to address the Covid-19 and other issues as well.
“We have achieved much and only by working together, we will solve a lot of things.”
Parkop said the Rita Flynn facility in NCD should continue to be maintained with all health and safety protocols.
He said the NCD Commission would be focused on enforcing laws and safety protocols.
“We are going to bus stop wardens soon and part of their focus is look at betel nuts,” he said.
“There will be zero tolerance on spittle because it is a risky habit if and when the Covid-19 hits us.”

3 comments

  • People are struggling to make ends meet, why extend when no one person has died of COVID-19. If extended for another two months people will die of hunger then COVID-19.

    Politically connected business are benefiting out of this COVID-19 containment expenses and ordinary citizen are suffering. Why extend?

  • The more you talk about extension of the SOE, The country will be faced with massive economical crisis and a huge budget blow out which might seriously affect some government services in the country next year and that will draw back to your stand for extension of SOE. Please just put restriction on our borders and continue monitoring. That would minimise spread of that dreaded decease.

  • Governor is correct. Extend SOE. Corona virus is still in the world today. Ban buai completely in Png until 2022. If corona pandemic erupted, you will see the png governments power that time in like this time.

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