Papua New Guinean detainees await results

National

FIVE Papua New Guineans detained in a Jayapura police station are awaiting their results after Indonesian health officers took their swabs for Covid-19 testing, PNG consular-general Geoffrey Wiri says.
“However, 11 of their fellow detainees have been declared positive after their results came back and they have been removed to a hospital to be under observation in an isolation ward,” he said.
“None of the PNG citizens are among these detainees.
“They are okay now – for the time being.”
Wiri said yesterday that the PNG citizens – four men and a woman – were on drug-smuggling charges and were facing court process.
“The Covid-19 is now spreading and affecting the police stations in which 91 detainees are still in.
“The police stations are awaiting their court appearance.”
Jayapura city Covid-19 task force chairman Rustan Saru told Indonesian media: “Eleven detainees were confirmed positive based on results of throat fluid examination taken by the health officers last Sunday.
“We previously took throat samples from 19 detainees (including five PNG citizens).
“And 11 (excluding PNG citizens) were tested positive for the Covid-19.
“However, we will still re-run the second swabbing tests on these detainees (including PNG citizens) despite being declared negative in the first testing.”