Let’s help contain Covid-19

LOCKDOWN measures will be announced for Western, West Sepik and Eastern Highlands.
The lockdown is part of the Government’s preventive measures to put in place mechanisms to control and prevent any further spreading of the Coronavirus (Covid-19).
Another three provinces are being monitored – the National Capital District (NCD), Morobe and Enga.
Based on the available data, it is believed that community transmission of Covid-19 is occurring in much of PNG.
The PNG Covid-19 health situation report #90 released last Monday states that Western, NCD, West Sepik and West New Britain would appear to be in stage 3 widespread community transmission while all other provinces in PNG would appear to have localised community transmission.
As of Sept 12, eight new confirmed Covid-19 cases and six deaths were reported.
The cumulative number increased to 18,808 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 202 deaths.
From the period of Sept 6–12, there were 171 newly confirmed Covid-19 cases reported including eight deaths
The lockdown directives to many people will be harsh, but it has to be done.
The fight to contain the Covid-19 pandemic is global.
All nations are working together on this.
Whether we like it or not, face masks will be an essential part of the public health fight against the Covid-19, so we might as well get used to them.
It was for everyone’s benefit that measures under the Niupela Pasin are put in place – from social distancing to getting into crowded areas and the simplest reminder of personal hygiene.
The message of practicing hand hygiene (wash your hands regularly with soap and water), respiratory hygiene (cover your cough) and social distancing as a prevention measure was the new rule.
Unfortunately, a big problem with this pandemic is that health measures curtailing the movements of people and social contact hurt economic activities and businesses.
Another is the failing health facilities and system. PNG does not have the capacity to deal with this virus if there is an outbreak.
The country has less than 500 doctors and less than 3,000 nurses for a population well above eight million.
The intensive care units have only 200 bed spaces.
Of those 200 bed spaces, only 44 have oxygen ventilators attached to the bed.
We still have ignorant people not complying with the various orders and putting everyone at risk with their no-care behaviour.
Niupela Pasin is the new way of living that makes basic hygiene and safe distancing a part of our new culture – as individuals, as families and as communities.
It means adopting behaviours and actions that are consistently practiced to reduce risk of Covid-19 and other infectious disease.
It involves a society where people take responsibility for their own health and their families.
These guideline are for everyone.
We all should reduce our contact with others.
The spread can be slowed, public health professionals say, if people practise social distancing by avoiding public spaces and generally limiting their movement.
Studies show people are mainly catching Covid-19 through larger respiratory droplets when they are close to an infected person or when these droplets fall on a surface that they then touch, rather than the virus hanging out in the air.
Covid-19 will not move unless people move it. When we stop moving, the virus stops moving.
We need to slow down the spread so that not many people will go to the hospital at the same time.