Helpline service says seeking of information declines

THE need for information on the Coronavirus (Covid-19) and concern about it seems to have waned, according to figures in a report on a helpline service.
The majority of Covid-19 information calls to the free phone counselling service 1-Tok Kaunselin Helpim Lain (helpline) was set up early in the pandemic.
The helpline (715-08000) was set up in 2017 to provide information and support for anyone experiencing family and sexual violence issues.
According to a report released on Monday, of the 1,282 calls received by the helpline seeking information on Covid-19 since April 2020, 1,120 came in the first six months.
Since October, there were only 97 calls.
But this figure is offset by the fact that a national Covid-19 hotline was also set up and fielded calls over time inevitably reducing the calls to 1-Tok for Covid-19 information.
The figures in the first six months of the 1-Tok helpline was high over a diverse range of regions with calls from Hela, Gulf, Manus, Western, Southern Highlands and Morobe adding to the earlier rate.
Meanwhile, helpline organisers had estimated originally a 75 per cent increase in the calls since the pandemic established.
It said in a statement yesterday that it compared the number of call before Covid-19 (2019 to March 2020) with April 2020 to March 2021 using quarterly averages.
During Pre-Covid-19, 2,089 calls were received per quarter on average.
It increased to 3,659 calls per quarter during the pandemic.
This is in part due to an increase in callers wanting information about the Covid-19, as well as increase in number seeking information about the helpline services