Govt accused of mishandling Covid-19 with secrecy

IALIBU-Pangia MP Peter O’Neill says secrecy and confusion around the Government’s mishandling of coronavirus containment continues and the Rita Flynn testing centre in Port Moresby has been closed without warning.
The former prime minister claimed that the Government caused panic so they could get their emergency legislation through Parliament, the country was now being kept in the dark about the coronavirus.
“The Government announced a string of new infections weeks ago and then they stopped sharing information,” O’Neill said in a statement.
“Now, at a time when there is a rising number of the Covid-9 community transmissions, the Rita Flynn Centre is no longer being used for testing.
“Millions of kina were spent on preparing Rita Flynn to deal with expected community transmissions, and now the virus is spreading they have closed the doors.
“Coronavirus cases are escalating around the world and there is suspicion of thousands of unreported infections in Papua New Guinea, but Marape is absent.
“He even missed the conference scheduled online with World Health Organisation director-general.
“There is almost no word from Marape because he has no idea of what is going on and is refusing to talk with media because they are demanding that he answer questions.”
O’Neill said many countries were going into the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic spread.
“This pandemic is serious and the crisis getting worse in almost every country but in our country the Government is asleep.