Marape: Covid-19 not a joke

WHILE the world has taken to living with the Coronavirus (Covid-19), Papua New Guinea still has a lot to learn in doing the same, Prime Minister James Marape says.
As he arrived into the country after a two-week trip to the United States, Marape said that while he was prime minister, that still did not stop him from going through the rigorous Covid-19 controls in other Singapore and the US.
“The Covid-19 is real, it is not a joke, I have seen clearly from my visit to the US of how serious countries take action against this global pandemic – from transiting in Singapore, to arriving in the US, and moving around,” he said.
“Even as the prime minister, I had to observe the strict Covid-19 protocols both in Singapore and America.
“The Covid-19 dominated discussions in all United Nations meetings, from the smaller virtual meetings to 76th United Nations (UN) General Assembly.
“This pandemic is a very real security threat to all the nations of the world.”
Marape, in his address to the UN, had indicated that Covid-19 remained a big challenge in PNG, especially as the rate of vaccination remained low.
He also called for global efforts to curb misinformation that was resulting in low rates of vaccinations in the country. “It is concerning to note the increasing reports of the virus in the country,” he said.
Marape said vaccination was not a new medical option for the protection of lives.
“We, in PNG, have been utilising vaccinations sanctioned by WHO since the 1970s for measles, pneumonia and polio, and now for the Covid-19,” he said.
“For the Covid-19, over 2 billion people all over the world have been vaccinated, so I encourage people to be responsible to yourself, your family and your country by being vaccinated.
“If you don’t want to be vaccinated, then my strong suggestion is for you to participate in self-isolation and remain where you are with mask and social distancing because the Covid-19 is spreading rapidly.”
Marape said he would meet Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Soroi Eoe and Health Minister Jelta Wong and Health secretary Dr Osborne Liko to discuss Covid-19 matters today.
“The Covid-19 is not a joke, I repeat, so let us all contribute towards making our country safer from it,” he said.