Lino says Covid-19 a serious health issue, no to be politicised

National

THE Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a serious health issue and must not be politicised, Fisheries Minister Dr Lino Tom says.
On Friday in Parliament, Dr Tom said since the beginning of the pandemic there had been a lot of debates on the Covid-19 and the issues surrounding vaccination, including comments by Opposition Leader Belden Namah and Prime Minister James Marape.
Namah argued that companies could not violate the people’s freedom by imposing mandatory vaccination on their employees because the Government’s policy was that vaccination was voluntary and the ‘Niupela Pasin’ needed to be followed.
Marape said the Government’s policy was that while vaccination was not compulsory companies could set their own measures to guide workplace health and safety and the State would not interfere.
“The Constitution confers absolute rights to life and liberty to its citizens and the same Constitution actually wants to protect the people who want to be vaccinated,” he said.
“If a vaccinated person feels that his life is threatened because someone decides not to get the vaccine, that’s where those company security public health measures come into place.
“I think it is incumbent on each company depending on their company health measures that they take to actually prescribe or impose on people the policies of vaccination.”
Marape said a responsible government would consider all options.