People urged to go for Covid-19 testing, hospitals to increase tests

By LULU MARK
PEOPLE have been urged to go for Covid-19 testing because it is crucial in determining the extent of the spread of the disease, says national control centre incident manager Dr Daoni Esorom.
He said provincial health authorities had been urged to increase the number of testing but it all depended on people turning up.
In the case of the Rita Flynn Covid-19 centre in Port Moresby not collecting samples and conducting tests, Dr Esorom said it was unfortunate.
He said the National Capital District Health Authority should explain why the clinics in Port Moresby had stopped swabbing and sending samples to the Central Public Health Laboratory and the Institute of Medical Research at the medical school for testing.
Attempts were made to get a comment from the NCD Health Authority.
Dr Daoni said private hospitals and clinics were conducting tests but people had to pay fees.
St John Ambulance commissioner Matt Cannon said their temporary drive-through swabbing facility was at the St John headquarters until Jan 14 as the Taurama Aquatic Indoor complex was closed.
The facility is opened from Monday to Friday between 9am and 12.30pm.