Nation on alert

The National Main Stories

By REBECCA KUKU
THE Government has up-scaled its response to the coronavirus pandemic to a national security alert, according to Prime Minister James Marape.
Marape told the nation yesterday that the Government had recognised the threat of Covid-19 to the nation since January and began putting in measures to protect its people.
“We continue to put in measures to prevent the entry of the virus into the country. We have personnel at our points of entry who are screening inbound passengers and our surveillance team conducts follow-up checks of those travelers. However, even with these measures, it would be wrong to assume that we will not get the virus.
“We continue to prepare for the worst-case scenario and make our system ready to response.”
Marape said passengers travelling from Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan and China would be required to complete a 14 day quarantine outside the country.
“We have also placed a 60-day ban on all public servants from official overseas travel,” he said.
There is also a ban on cruise ships and yachts used for leisure with more than 15 people on board.
“We are setting up quarantine facilities in Port Moresby and Lae and will eventually set up in Rabaul and Mount Hagen as part of our contingency plan preparations.
“A ban has also been placed on traditional border traveling. In the next 90 days, all ships requiring quarantine clearance must be cleared only at the declared ports of Motukea, Lae and Rabaul.
“Severe penalties will be imposed on overseas ships sailing directly to unauthorised ports. Under our surveillance system, we are monitoring the movement of people in and out of the country, particularly where they (will be) in PNG using the supplementary health declaration forms.”
Marape said any person showing signs and symptoms of Covid-19 will be further interviewed and self-quarantined.
“As of last Friday, we have tested 16 persons in our IMR WHO accredited laboratory in Goroka and all have returned negative results for Covid-19.
“PNG IMR are also preparing to conduct Covid-19 testing in Port Moresby and Madang in two weeks.
“We will also review and update our measures regularly, based on the risk assessment.”
Marape said “we will not sacrifice our economy as the economy is also important”.
“I am aware that other countries have closed their borders and restricted flights. They have the luxury to do so because they have a bigger and stronger economy.
“Covid-19 is not just a health issue but also a social and an economy issue and affects the economy.
“But we are assessing the situation and if the need arises than we will also consider the option in the future.”
Marape said as the Government continued to put in place measures, the people also had a role to play.
Marape said the health teams would continue to conduct risk assessments. Updates would be released regularly to ensure that citizens are kept abreast of the status of coronavirus globally and in PNG.

10 comments

  • All international arrivals at Jackson International Airport must be fully screened, including all returning citizens.
    Those with positive results must be quarantined immediately.

  • Countries like Australia and Philippines should also be restricted from traveling into PNG.

  • Forget about completing a 14 day quarantine outside one’s country. These days we cannot trust people as the world is going nuts, health workers can make a minute mistake with their tests thus virus can easily enter our shore. We must restrict inward travel for indefinite period or else it’ll be a bush fire.

  • EVERY/ALL passengers entry into our ports, either Air or Sea SHOULD be quarantined for 14 days. No ifs or buts. This is to protect our national security. ‘Better safe then sorry’. Really !!

  • Screening is good, quartine Is better. Any passenger coming in from outside should be quarantined for 14 days. That’s the only and best way to verify whether a person has the virus or not. Remember the incubation period lies between 1-14 days. You can check a person today and he might not show any sign or symptoms of the virus. But a week later the virus might show its face. So the government should impose a forced quarantine for everyone travelling into PNG.

  • New Zealand and Australia and imposing mandatory 14-Day quarantine for persons travelling from overseas, irrespective of test carried out on arrival or not. They have capabilities to conduct test & health systems set up to look into it but have taken this drastic stance due to the seriousness of the pandemic, WHY NOT PNG??? We are not even capable of conducting test on passengers properly arriving from overseas, nor have the facilities to cater for if there is an outbreak.
    Just stop everyone at points of entry and have them quarantined for 14-days straight. No ifs & buts…

  • Italy, Iran, South Korea, Japan and China would be required to complete a 14 day quarantine outside the country, and what about New Zealand and Australia?
    All passengers travelling in should be quarantined. We can’t assume things here.
    And also this Novel epidemic disease has developed late last year. Preparation of COVID-19 testing should be done in January and February in advance getting ready for the worst case scenario. And now PNG IMR is preparing to conduct Covid-19 testing in Port Moresby and Madang in two weeks?
    What about the other main centers?
    This disease will spread in days and to wait for PNG IMR for its preparation to conduct Covid-19 testing in two weeks is a blast.

  • Government look at our Country it’s a small Island if the Coronavirus affected our Country our People’s will Dead like a bushfire before that happened in our Country I think it’s best we lock down our Seaports and Airports for all international Flights and Only allow Domestic Flights, Prevention it’s better than Cure has we all know.

  • For the good of the country, it is better to quarantined all the international passengers travelling into the Country. They may have medical declaration forms allowing them to travel and we can also conducting test before their entry but neither ways the virus has possibility to enter the county. It is much more safer practice to quarantine all the international travellers regardless of the region they come from. Now is the time we take tough stance.

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