No vax, no entry, says Manning

The National Main Stories

All persons traveling into Papua New Guinea will need to be fully vaccinated against the Coronavirus (Covid-19), says National Pandemic Response controller David Manning.
“No person, except citizens or permanent residences, are permitted to board an aircraft, vessel or vehicle bound for Papua New Guinea or otherwise enter Papua New Guinea, unless they have been fully vaccinated against the Covid-19,” he said.
Manning, who is also the Police Commissioner, said that these new measures came into effect as of last Thursday.
Under the new measure number two, a person is considered fully vaccinated if the person has received:

  • A SINGLE dose vaccine;
  • A SECOND dose of an accepted 2-dose vaccination; and,
  • RECEIVED 2 doses of any “mix-and-match” combination of accepted Covid-19 vaccines.

Travel operators or private organisations – as relevant – bringing persons into Papua New Guinea will at check-in or before departure, check all persons’ proof of vaccination, a vaccination certificate.
“A person must not be allowed to board an aircraft, vessel or vehicle bound for Papua New Guinea without these documents, except for citizens, permanent residents or persons under the age of 18,” he said.
The new measures include:

  • NO incoming arrival shall be quarantined, except at the written direction of the controller.
  • FOR the purpose of these measures, a person arriving into PNG on any aircraft is taken not to arrive in PNG if the person does not leave the aircraft or the immediate vicinity of the aircraft for the purposes of conducting pre-flight inspections and refueling.
  • FOR the purpose of these measures, a person arriving into PNG on any vessel is taken not to arrive in PNG if the person does not leave the vessel;
  • CONTROLLER may exempt a person from some or all of the international travel measures, at his sole discretion and subject to conditions he imposes;
  • A person or organisation that allows a person to board an aircraft bound for PNG in breach of these measures shall be deemed to have committed an offence under the National Pandemic Act 2020;
  • A person that attempts to or does enter PNG in breach of these measures shall be returned to their original port of departure at the cost of individual if they did not take reasonable steps to ensure compliance with these measures;
  • THESE measures are in compliance with the Covid-19 measures issued by the International Civil Aviation Authority; and,
  • AUTHORIZED officers shall ensure appropriate levels of surveillance and border monitoring systems are in place throughout the country for international travel and in particular at the traditional border crossing areas.

Manning said the approved vaccines in Papua New Guinea are; Oxford-AstraZenica, AstraZenica, Pfizer–BioNTech, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm-BBIBP, CoronaVac Sinovac, Novavax, Covaxin, and Covovax .